Measuring Progress On Strategic Goals

✅ 𝗕𝗔 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟮: 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀, 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 & 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 I am working on my case study for a fictional oil & gas products trading company struggling with indirect tax reporting in their ETRM system.   In my previous post, I shared the problem statement and current state analysis for my business case. Now, I’m diving into the next step: defining goals, strategic alignment, and success measures. When I started this section, I realized it’s not just about listing objectives. There’s a bigger story. How the project aligns with strategy and how success will be measured. 🎯 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀: 1. Automatically extract and consolidate 𝟵𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗮𝘅-𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 into centralized reports, reducing manual prep time from 2 days to under 2 hours per month within 3 months. 2. Enforce 𝟭𝟬𝟬% 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 for tax-relevant fields at time of trade or shipment entry, targeting a 50% reduction in rework due to data issues within 3 months. 3. Align 𝟭𝟬𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 used in tax logic across trade and logistics modules, with a quarterly governance review process in place within 3 months. 4. Implement a rules engine allowing tax analysts to update 𝟴𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗜𝗧, cutting change turnaround time from 2 weeks to 2 days, within 2 months. 5. Ensure that 𝟭𝟬𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗮𝘅 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 are logged with user-level traceability and available for export on demand, within 2 months. 🚀 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: This project isn’t just operational. It supports key business goals. - 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆: Automate manual reporting - 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Standardize & track audits - 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Let users manage tax rules - 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆: Align master data - 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: Validate in real time 📊 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗞𝗣𝗜𝘀 / 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 (𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲): - Prep time reduced from 16 to <2 hours/month - 90%+ reports auto-generated - 50% fewer errors in tax reports - 100% validation of tax-relevant fields - 100% audit traceability - 80% of rule changes completed without IT Defining clear goals, alignment, and metrics gives the project direction, purpose, and accountability. It’s not just about “what we want to do”. It’s about how we know we succeeded. 💡 Next up: I’ll share the proposed solution and future state, showing how these goals come to life. I’m curious. Do you include all 3 (goals, strategic alignment, success measures) in your business cases? #BAPortfolio #BusinessAnalysisCircle #BusinessAnalyst #BusinessAnalysis -- I’m the BA who asks “why,” digs deeper, and aligns business and tech teams to unlock value. ➡️ Follow me for more on problem-solving, reporting, and career journeys in business analysis. ♻️ Repost if you found this helpful.

One of my favorite tricks when goal-setting is to have side-by-side comparisons of actuals and efficiency bets to spark trade-off conversations. → This exercise allows the team to prioritize work and challenge current performance → Generate insightful conversations + brainstorming within groups → Prioritize modeling realistic yet challenging goals – many companies model to improve every data point (which is often unrealistic) &  don’t factor in ramp time to improve the metrics 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘀: The metrics you're betting on improving based on focused efforts over time. Example inputs are highlighted in green below. When creating and roadmapping goals in a documented format, I make two sections to compare side-by-side actuals (based on current performance) and then the efficiency bets (chosen inputs to take chances on to improve as a team). Let’s walk through a rough, simple example to illustrate this concept: 1. Inbound revenue goal: Planning to achieve X in new ARR for Q1 2. Work backward within your funnel to obtain various goals (win rate, ACV, avg. deal size, conversion rates, etc.) 3. For the actuals section: Put in these inputs as they have been performing for the last 6 mo.'s. Keep this exercise and the inputs as simple as possible 4. For the efficiency bets section: Decide on only 1-2 inputs you believe you can improve as a team. Pro-tip: ramp these over time for work to impact the improvements. E.g., you could model a ramp to improve the win rate by improving the quality of leads. Or you may improve the demo → deal created conversion rate by improving the sales handoff process (adding a direct sales calendar link in your form is one tactic to help here). 5. Compare the delta between the actuals and efficiency bets and decide on the bets you’ll be taking. Often, the actuals section will cause teams to flag the plan as not doable, especially when you layer in the program spend needed to achieve the goals. However, we know we should constantly be improving our performance. But, many teams try and achieve everything at once and overnight. This creates a lack of focus and sets up failure in reaching the goals. This approach adds a layer of the discipline of intentionally choosing what and how to improve a metric. In this example, choosing the realistic efficiency bets saves the fictional company ~$262k, brings a more efficient ROI (typically benchmark the Ad CAC to 6 months or less), and reduces the number of opps by ~49. A bonus with this exercise is that once you have brainstormed with your team and had conversions on choosing your efficiency bets, you already have the rough outline of work the team needs to prioritize working in. And, of course, it also provides a roadmap to achieve easily understood goals that are much more attainable. (Everyone likes to win ;).) If anyone does something similar to this, I’d love to hear more about your thoughts and experiences!

Your CEO read about OKRs and now wants quarterly objectives. But you can only ship twice a year? I got this question on Dear Melissa this week, and it highlights a huge misconception about goal-setting frameworks. Most companies treat OKRs like a quarterly ritual instead of a strategic tool. Here's the thing: if you can only release once a year, you need yearly OKRs. Not quarterly ones. OKRs aren't about calendar quarters. They're about measuring the results of what you can actually ship and achieve. When you set quarterly goals but can't deliver quarterly results, you're just creating busy work to show fake progress. The real framework works like this: Company-level strategic intents take 1.5-3 years. Think expanding into new markets, measured by customer acquisition and revenue growth. Product-level OKRs should be leading indicators that contribute to those bigger goals. If you're working on retention, maybe you focus on engagement metrics that predict longer-term customer behavior. But here's the key: your OKR timeframe has to match your shipping cadence. If you can't measure the impact of your work quarterly, don't set quarterly goals. The magic happens when these layers connect. Your product OKRs should ladder up to strategic intents, with timeframes that actually make sense for your development cycles. How are you aligning your OKRs with what you can actually achieve and measure?

As a donor, 90% of the grant proposals I read fail to include strong, measurable goals. If a proposal lacks strong goals, why should a donor approve it? Many organizations focus on their activities such as how many papers they’ll write, how many events they’ll host, or how many social media posts they'll create. But while important, these numbers alone don't create impact. Activities only create impact when they contribute to a clear and measurable goal. Foundations may call them outcomes, deliverables, or something else, but the real question is: Are your goals focused on the impact of your work, and are they both measurable and meaningful to your mission? Your goals should reflect what you hope to accomplish because of your work, not just the work itself, and they may vary depending on what you're trying to accomplish. For example, if your project involves writing research reports, the goal isn’t just to produce a certain number of reports. The real question is what impact will those reports have? Are you hoping to educate the public? Then tracking reads or media mentions might be the right measure. A goal here might be 10 media mentions in the next 6 months. Are you aiming for policy change? Then citations in legislative or academic discussions might be more relevant than raw readership numbers. In this case, a better goal might be 6 citations in the 3 months following the report's release. In your personal life, you might set a goal to go to the gym 3 times a week (an activity), but that doesn't tell you how long to go, what exercises to do, or why 3 times a week is effective. But if your goal is to gain 5 lbs of muscle in 6 months (the impact), you can start answering those questions with clarity. Start with your big-picture goal, then ask yourself: What would need to happen for this to become a reality? 🤔 How can we track progress toward that outcome? 📈 Don’t just set goals to satisfy a donor’s requirements. Make them meaningful to your mission. When your goals align with the change you want to see, measuring progress becomes not just a reporting requirement, but a powerful tool for driving impact.

You have a strategic plan for your nonprofit organization. But it’s not the roadmap you were hoping for. Use the Plant-to-Action Scorecard below to quickly find out why it's not working for you: • Does your team know where you’re headed? • Is ownership clear, or does everything fall back on you? • Are you tracking progress, or just reacting?    Score each question within the three sections below using a 4-point scale (no easy middle): 1 = Strongly Disagree 2 = Disagree 3 = Agree 4 = Strongly Agree Here are the questions: 𝟭. 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆: 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴? People can’t aim for what they can’t see. 1. Our strategy is easy to understand—no jargon. 2. Priorities are clear. We know what success looks like in 3–5 years. 3. Everyone knows the top 3 goals. 4. Everyone can explain how their role connects to those goals. 5. We’ve defined the problems we’re solving and why they matter. 6. We have a timeline for our strategic goals.    ⮨ 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹: 18+ = Strong alignment. Under 18? Simplify and communicate more clearly.     𝟮. 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗢𝘄𝗻𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁? Accountability = clear ownership. 1. Each goal has a clearly assigned owner. 2. We hold regular progress reviews. 3. Team members feel empowered to lead within their roles. 4. We track responsibilities in a visible way (e.g., dashboards). 5. Teams have the tools and support they need. 6. Leaders offer regular feedback and guidance.    ⮨ 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹: 18+ = Accountability is embedded. Under 18? Clarify roles and track follow-through.     𝟯. 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀? If you’re not measuring, you’re guessing. 1. We make decisions using data. 2. We use SMART goals for key objectives. 3. Key metrics are shared with the team. 4. Each metric has clear success benchmarks. 5. We gather stakeholder feedback to add context to the data. 6. We review metrics regularly to spot trends and gaps.    ⮨ 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹: 18+ = Data is informing progress. Under 18? Get specific and make measurement a habit. 7. 𝗧𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 🔹 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝟰𝟱: Your plan is likely slowing you down. 🔹 𝟰𝟲–𝟲𝟯: Progress is happening, but gaps remain. 🔹 𝟲𝟰+: Strong foundation. Keep optimizing. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽: Choose your lowest-scoring section and commit to improving it this quarter. You’ve got this!

🚨 𝐏𝐌𝐎 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 — 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬? Here’s the hard truth: Executives don’t care how many Gantt charts we’ve created or how many meetings we’ve held. What they do care about is: 📈 Value. 🎯 Results. 🤝 Strategic alignment. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐌𝐎 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐬. Here are 5 metrics your PMO should be tracking that executives actually care about: 🔹 1. 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – Are the promised business outcomes being delivered after project completion? Track actual benefits vs. forecasted. 🔹 2. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 – What percentage of active projects directly support one or more strategic goals? If the PMO isn’t aligned to strategy, it's just busywork. 🔹 3. 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐨 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 – Measure value delivered across the full portfolio (e.g., cost savings, revenue growth, efficiency gains), not just project success. 🔹 4. 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 – How quickly are projects delivering usable value? Not just "on time," but how fast are results feltby the business? 🔹 5. 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐔𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 – Are your best resources working on the most valuable initiatives, or spread too thin across low-priority efforts? 📊 Tracking these shifts the PMO from a project tracking function to a value-driving partner. 👉 Let’s stop managing to timelines and start managing to impact. 🤔 Has your PMO struggled to convey value to executives? What metrics have made a difference in how your PMO demonstrates value? ♻️ Repost if you liked the content of this post! _________________ 🔔 Ring the bell to follow me on LinkedIn for topics on #ProjectManagement, #ProgramManagement, #PMO, #BusinessTransformation, #CareerTips, and #Leadership. #ProjectManager #ProjectManagementProfessional #BusinessValue #StrategicExecution #KPIs #PortfolioManagement #StrategyRealization

Most everyone agrees that OKRs should NOT reflect ALL important work that needs to get done. So here are the three main categories: 1 - OKRs – Focus for measurable improvement in the near term. Example of a key result: increase number of weekly active users of a certain product from X to Y by end of quarter. 2 - Health metrics – Important metrics to monitor and maintain, but not the focus for improvement now. Example: maintain website uptime above 99.95%. 3 - “Just Do Its” – Key tasks that need to get done but are not defined by measurable outcomes. Example: complete the audit. As OKRs coaches, we ask our clients questions that help them clarify where to focus efforts in the near to make measurable progress on what matters most. We often begin with questions about objectives: What is the most important area to focus on measurable improvement in the near term? Why Now? Then, we ask questions about key results: How will we know the objective is achieved by the end of the quarter? How will we define measurable progress by a certain date? Differentiate between “Just Do Its” and KRs. When asked about key results, our clients often provide a task list; so, we ask: “What is the intended outcome of the task?” This is a great question and can be hard to answer, especially when the client is stuck working on a big task that has a deadline. For example, suppose a client has drafted the key result, “launch feature X by end of month.” This is not a measurable key result that reflects an outcome; it is a task that reflects work output. So, we must ask the client, “what is the intended outcome of launching feature X? How will we know this feature has made an impact?” Sometimes, the client says, we just need to do it, so it’s better to classify as a task, or “Just Do It, rather than a key result. In other cases, we may conclude that “successfully launching the feature” is better classified as an objective with underlying key results that define the successful launch. This may look like the following: Objective: Successfully launch feature X Key Result: Increase average number of weekly users engaging with security dashboard from 100 before feature X launch to 200 after launch of feature X Here's a link to the rest of this blog in case you've read this far! https://lnkd.in/gdhw4Fap

Event Marketers, Stop Confusing KPIs and OKRs! I have to do better with posting! Convos with friends push me to get on the mic (LinkedIn) and talk more. As an event marketing pro, we're constantly juggling metrics, trying to prove ROI, and striving for bigger and better events. But are we truly measuring what matters? I often see confusion between KPIs and OKRs, which can seriously hinder your success. I see it often with my own team and sometimes myself. Let's clear things up! KPIs (Key Performance Indicators): The "What" Think of KPIs as your event's vital signs. They're the metrics that tell you how you're doing. They're great for tracking progress and identifying trends. Examples: * Website traffic to your event page * Social media engagement (likes, shares, comments) * Number of event registrations OKRs (Objectives and Key Results): The "Why" and "How" OKRs are your goal-setting framework. They define what you want to achieve (Objectives) and how you'll measure progress (Key Results). They're more aspirational and drive growth. Examples: * Objective: Boost brand awareness through our annual user conference. * Key Result 1: Increase social media reach by 25% during and after the conference. * Key Result 2: Secure 10 media mentions in industry publication channels. The Crucial Difference: KPIs measure performance, while OKRs define goals and how to achieve them. You use KPIs to track progress toward your OKRs. Here’s an example in Action: Let's say your Objective is to "Drive record-breaking attendance at your product launch event." A Key Result could be "Generate 500 qualified leads from the event." Your KPIs would then track things like: * Number of event registrations * Lead capture rate at the event * Website traffic from event promotions By monitoring these KPIs, you can see if you're on track to hit your Key Result and ultimately achieve your Objective. Why This Matters for Event Marketers: Understanding the difference allows you to: * Set smarter goals: OKRs provide a clear direction. * Measure effectively: KPIs give you the data to track progress. * Demonstrate ROI: Show how your events contribute to the company’s business objectives. * Optimize your strategy: Use data to make informed decisions. Stop just measuring and start strategically driving results! What are your biggest challenges when it comes to measuring event success? Share in the comments below! Let's discuss and learn from each other. Tagging some of my favorite peeps to contribute to the conversation. Tavar James Traci DePuy, MSEL Devon Montgomery Pasha CMP, CED Maggie Barton Baird, CMP Nicole Kovacs, CMP Nicola Kastner Tess M. Vismale, CMP, DES #eventmarketing #corporateevents #kpis #okrs #marketer #eventprof

Yesterday, during our Apartment Addicts monthly Accountability call we reviewed Q1 results for each student. As everyone reported their results vs their initial goal, there was one person who stood out during the call for their reporting. Just like everyone else, she reported one goal that she overachieved, and then one goal that she missed. She then proceeded to say why she fell short of the one goal and what she was going to do for Q2 to get on track. Specifically, when she tracked her progress monthly she wouldn’t realize she was falling behind until it was too late to course correct. She decided for Q2 she would change her time interval for tracking to weekly to stay on top of the progress. While this is a smart action to take to help achieve your goals, what she said next was really what impressed me. She then said she analyzed not only why she achieved her other goal, but the time period in which she achieved it, which was 5 weeks. In other words, Q1 has 13 weeks, but the work to achieve this particular goal only took 5 of those weeks. So for Q2 she was going to adjust her goal by increasing it. The reason this is so important originates back to how you set goals in the first place. Your quarterly goals should be a building block to achieving your annual goals. Said differently, if you achieve your quarterly goals, by default you should achieve your annual goals. As she increases her Q2 goal, she is actually moving the annual goal’s goal post closer. There is no doubt in my mind that she is going to achieve her goals. The dedication to not only putting in the work but analyzing the work you are doing is the difference maker. While so many people are interested in this content in the fourth quarter of the year when it comes to goal setting for the following year, few read-up on tips and strategies of maintaining focus on your goals throughout the year. If you have gotten this far, comment below with the status of your Q1 goal, what you are going to do differently for Q2 and who you have as an accountability partner. I guarantee you that few will leave a comment, but I would bet that the few who do are more likely on the right track to achieving their goals! #goalsetting #accountability #goals #q1 #results #accountabilitypartner #mindset #work #hardwork #reporting #believeachieve #goal

Key Takeaways: 1) Distinguish KPIs from Metrics: KPIs is a metric- but not all metrics are KPIs. A KPI is a strategic metric that: - Directly supports your organization’s top-level goals - Has clear executive buy-in and ownership - Cascades effectively to operational and individual levels ➤ Focus on the cross-functional KPIs that are applicable at all levels and aligned with the strategic goals 2) Adopt a Tiered KPI Framework: Use a 3-tier system to connect strategic priorities to day-to-day actions: - Tier 1: Strategic KPIs aligned with corporate objectives - Tier 2: Diagnostic metrics for root cause analysis - Tier 3: Operational metrics for team and individual accountability ➤ This hierarchy enables faster insight, alignment, and corrective action. 3) Move from Reporting to Action: Dashboards and scorecards aren’t just tools — they are part of your governance engine. - Use them to monitor, analyze, and respond, not just to report - Make data transparency and regular performance reviews a habit, not a chore 4) Accelerate with GenAI & ML: Next-gen technologies can supercharge KPI governance by: - Detecting anomalies and trends earlier - Automating analysis and forecasting - Providing actionable insights before issues escalate ➤ These tools enable proactive performance management, not just reactive correction. 📚 Reference: To dive deeper into Effective KPI Governance and Performance Measurement see: “Realizing Value from Digital/Gen AI/ML-Driven Supply Chain Planning Transformations” https://lnkd.in/g6JbA6Mf