It’s goal-setting season: 5 things you should do as a manager or a professional
Goal-setting season is here. Discover 10 proven strategies to make 2026 goals succeed: 5 for professionals to build accountability, 5 for managers to drive performance. Master SMART goals, OKRs, feedback loops & career alignment. Backed by Gallup & McKinsey research. Start today.
It’s tiiiiiiiime!
Goal setting time, it is.
As the new year begins, many organisations and professionals turn their attention to setting goals for the year.
We all know how that will turn out.
From the initial excitement of when the goals are planned, where clarity and optimism dominate, to the inevitable moment when obstacles emerge, conversations between managers and professionals break down, and employees question whether the goal was truly theirs to begin with.
This gap between the initial excitement of planning and the reality of execution is exacerbated in the AI age.
AI can generate perfect goals, but it can't have the human conversations that make those goals stick or recognise the hesitation in someone's voice when they agree to a target they know is unrealistic.
Your ability to have the right conversations is what separates goals that drive results from goals that become forgotten documents.
Having the right conversations is the way to ensure that there's no misalignment and to build genuine commitment with either your manager or your subordinate.
This is your window to build that connection with either your manager or your team member. With the tips below, you can make or break whether 2026 is a year of real progress or another year of theatre.
5 tips for professionals
Tip 1: clarify the big picture
What to do: Ask your manager to connect your goals to the organisation's strategy with specific examples.
Why do it: Clarifying how your goals connect allows you to understand the broader organisational objectives and keeps you motivated when challenges arise.
How to say it: "Help me understand how these goals connect to the broader organisational goals.
Tip 2: will I have access to the right support and resources?
What to do: Before committing, ask about budget, tools, training, and team support. Get specific commitments.
Why do it: Insufficient resources are a top reason goals fail. Getting clarity upfront prevents you from being held accountable for results you can't deliver.
How to say it: To hit this goal, I'll need [specific resources]. Can you confirm those will be available?
Tip 3: document the conversation
What to do: Open a shared doc during the meeting and type goals as you discuss them. In it, create an action plan with milestones, status updates, a section for accomplishments and improvements, what the specific steps are, any support or tools required, and mini goals to track progress and stay motivated.
Why do it: Writing down goals increases achievement by 33-42%. It creates accountability and ensures you're both on the same page.
How to say it: I'm going to capture these goals as we talk. This will be shared with you, and let's go through these goals during our monthly check-ins.
Tip 4: get and give feedback
What to do: Establish a two-way feedback loop. Ask how you'll know you're on track and commit to sharing what's blocking you.
Why do it: People who receive feedback perform significantly better than those who don't. Two-way feedback builds trust and helps course-correct early.
How to say it: What's the best way to surface issues early? I commit to sharing what's working and where I'm stuck.
Tip 5: build checkpoints and flexibility
What to do: Schedule monthly progress reviews and agree on what would justify changing the goals to stretch yourself.
Why do it: Business priorities shift every 3 to 4 months. Flexible goal-setting increases resilience and prevents goals from fading away.
How to say it: Shall we put a 1-hour goals check-in in our calendars every month? What would trigger us to shift these goals?
5 Tips for Managers
Tip 1: build goals that leverage individual strengths
What to do: Identify each team member's strengths, then craft goals that leverage what they already do well, and set stretch goals for the year to improve what they can improve upon.
Why do it: Employees who use their strengths daily are 6x more likely to be engaged at work. Teams that focus on strengths see 10-19% increases in sales and 14-29% higher profits. Pairing strength-based goals with appropriate stretch goals creates both confidence and growth.
How to say it: Let's build a goal around [specific strength]. I also want to push you on [growth area] this year. What if we set one goal that plays to your strengths and one stretch goal that develops a new capability?
Tip 2: link individual goals to the organisation’s objectives
What to do: Explain how each employee's goals connect to the broader company mission. Show how their work contributes to organisational success.
Why do it: Gallup research shows increasing employees' connection to the company mission by just 10% can result in an 8.1% decrease in turnover and a 4.4% increase in profits.
How to say it: Our company objective this year is X. Your goal of Y directly supports this because... Let me walk you through how your work matters.
Tip 3: understand what each employee wants for their career
What to do: Before finalising goals, have a conversation about where each employee sees themselves in 2-3 years. Ask about skills they want to build, roles they're interested in, and what excites them professionally. Weave these in as stretch goals, or if there is a project that aligns with what they are interested in learning, loop them in.
Why do it: Managers who understand employee aspirations can better align goals to develop and motivate employees, increasing engagement and retention. When employees see their goals connecting to their future, they're more invested in achieving them.
How to say it: Before we lock in your 2026 goals, tell me, where do you see yourself in the next 2-3 years? What skills do you want to build? Let's make sure your goals move you in that direction.
Tip 4: ensure that goals or key results follow the SMART framework
What to do: Replace vague language with concrete metrics. Use the SMART framework to help you:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-based
If you would like to go deeper (and if it aligns with your organisation's performance management philosophy), use OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) to supercharge their performance. OKRs pair qualitative objectives with 2-4 measurable key results that track progress. Unlike SMART goals which focus on achievable targets, OKRs are designed to push boundaries and drive innovation.
Why do it: SMART goals eliminate ambiguity and increase performance by 16-25% compared to vague goals. OKRs take this further by promoting accountability, and real-time progress tracking across the organisation.
How to say it: Instead of 'improve client relationships,' let's make it SMART: 'Schedule quarterly business reviews with your top 5 clients by end of Q2.' Or, you could reframe it to fit an OKR context:
Objective: Become a trusted strategic partner to our top clients.
Key Results:
- Conduct business reviews with 5 key accounts every quarter
- Generate 3 client referrals by Q4
Tip 5: check in regularly and celebrate milestones
What to do: Schedule regular check-ins (monthly or quarterly) focused on goal progress and accountability. Recognise achievements as they happen (both small wins and major milestones) publicly or privately based on employee preference.
Why do it: Regular feedback combined with celebration boosts morale, productivity, and ensures goals remain top of mind. Companies that do this are 4x more likely to outperform peers. Employees who receive recognition are 12x more likely to feel a sense of belonging.
How to say it: Let's block 30 minutes on the first Friday of each month to review your goals. This is not a performance review, just a progress check. And as you hit milestones, I want to celebrate them—are you okay if I shout this out in front of the team?
P.S. Want to be a better manager? Let’s talk. Contact us here:
HumanRise
Join our growing community.
Sources
The Conversation, "A fresh start feels powerful – until motivation fades. Here's how to set work g oals that stick", https://theconversation.com/a-fresh-start-feels-powerful-until-motivation-fades-heres-how-to-set-work-goals-that-stick-272798
simplish.co, "How to Use Implementation Intentions to Achieve Your Goals", https://simplish.co/blog/implementation-intentions
edstellar.com, "Top 8 Strategies to Achieve Organizational Goals in 2026", https://www.edstellar.com/blog/ways-to-achieve-organizational-goals-objectives
Michigan State University Extension, "Achieving your goals: An evidence-based approach", https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/achieving_your_goals_an_evidence_based_approach
Oak Journal, "The Power of Writing Down Your Goals: Evidence from Multiple Studies", https://oakjournal.com/blogs/resources/the-power-of-writing-down-your-goals-evidence-from-multiple-studies
Perceptyx, "How Access to Resources & Support Influences Employee Engagement", https://blog.perceptyx.com/how-access-to-resources-and-support-influences-employee-engagement
Dale Carnegie Training Singapore, "8 Tips for Effective Employee Goal Setting as a Manager", https://dalecarnegie.com.sg/resources/8-tips-for-effective-employee-goal-setting-as-a-manager/
HoneHQ, "Goal Setting For Managers: A 6 Step Approach To Better Results", https://honehq.com/resources
Part of the HumanRise newsletter series. Developing irreplaceable human skills in the AI age.