If You Don’t Have Goals: Where to Start

Estimated time to establish goals: 4–6 weeks

If your organization doesn’t have clear goals in place, you’re not alone. Many teams start performance management conversations before they’ve defined what success actually looks like. Goals turn effort into direction—they help employees understand where to focus, how to measure progress, and how their work connects to the organization’s success.

Whether you’re launching goals to start the new year or aligning midyear for a course correction, it’s never too late to start.

Timeframe: Week 1–2

Before setting employee goals, take time to clarify priorities. Ask:

What are the three to five most important outcomes our team needs to achieve this quarter?
What would success look like if we accomplished them?
Start small—three to five meaningful goals per person or team is plenty. Use the SMARTER framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound, Evaluated, and Revisited).

Example:
Instead of: “Improve communication.”
Try: “Hold monthly team meetings with at least 80% attendance and collect feedback after each to improve team collaboration scores by 10%.”

Each SMARTER goal connects behavior to measurable results. The “Evaluated and Revisited” part reminds you that goals evolve—they aren’t set once and forgotten.

Timeframe:Week 2-3

Ensure that goals are documented and housed in your performance management system, like miviva. If you don't have a performance management system, a shared Excel file is a good place to start.

Timeframe: Week 3–4

Goals don’t work if they live in a spreadsheet. They need conversation. Start integrating goals into 1:1s and feedback discussions.

You can use miviva to:

• Add goals directly to 1:1 agendas.
• Track progress and milestones in real time.
• Create action items that move goals forward.

If you don't have a performance management system, you can track these items in a spreadsheet shared between you and your employee.

If you’re just starting, schedule recurring 1:1s every week or two. Keep each meeting short—20–30 minutes—and focus on one question: What progress have you made, and what support do you need next?

Timeframe: Week 4–6

Once goals are live, review them regularly. Use miviva’s dashboard to track completion rates and see which goals are at risk. Look for patterns: Are certain goals consistently off-track? Are priorities shifting?

Goal setting isn’t about perfection—it’s about iteration. Encourage teams to revise or replace goals that no longer fit current realities. This kind of flexibility builds a stronger, more adaptive performance culture.

If you want to begin your new goals in January, start your planning now:

• November: Gather input from leadership and teams about what success should look like next year.
• Early December: Draft and review SMARTER goals with managers.
• Mid-December: Finalize and align department and team goals in miviva. 
• January: Launch with kickoff 1:1s to discuss ownership and milestones.

This process works just as well for any quarter. Simply shift the timeline back six weeks from your target start date to allow time for planning, alignment, and conversation.

Ongoing

As goals progress, use 1:1s and team meetings to highlight wins, discuss overall progress, and work through roadblocks. Recognition reinforces focus and momentum. In miviva, you can record achievements and connect them to organizational outcomes, creating a living record of progress.

Use our Goal Starter Roadmap to guide your first goal-setting cycle. You’ll get:

• A step-by-step process for defining and aligning goals
• Example SMARTER goals for teams and individuals
• A sample alignment map
• A 30-60-90-day planning checklist

Download Now!

• If You Don't Have Reviews
• If You Don't Have 1:1s
• Return to the main hub: Where to Start with Performance Management