Goals

What it is (why)

A goal is a strategic outcome your organization commits to — usually time-bound and owned by a department or leader. Goals answer: *What does success look like this period?*

Goals are not metrics (that is a KPI) and not projects (that is an initiative). You prove progress toward a goal through linked KPIs.

When to use it

Use a goal when:

Leadership needs a clear outcome statement (for example, “Increase enterprise win rate by Q4”)
You want to group KPIs under a strategic theme or fiscal period
You are planning annual or quarterly objectives

Do not use a goal when:

You need to track a number with a target → create a KPI
You need to manage a body of work → create an Initiative
You only have a quick signal → use an Observation

How to use it

Create a goal

Sign in and open Goals → New goal (or Goals and use the create action).
Enter name and description (SMART-style clarity helps).
Set owner department and user, status, and planning period (fiscal period or custom dates).
Optionally assign a strategic theme (Settings → Themes).
Optionally link KPIs on the create form, or add links on the goal detail page after saving.

Edit and maintain

Open a goal from Goals to update status, dates, owner, or description.
Use Linked KPIs on the detail page to add or remove KPI connections.
On Intelligence+ plans with AI recommendations, use Suggested KPIs on the goal detail page to generate ideas (requires company industry/description in Settings).

Visibility

When RBAC v2 is enabled, set visibility on create or edit for sensitive goals. Match visibility on linked KPIs and initiatives for confidential programs. See Roles and permissions.

Who typically owns it

Executives and admins often define company-wide goals
Managers and department leaders own departmental goals
Contributors usually view goals only, unless given create/edit permissions

KPIs — measure the goal
Initiatives — influence KPIs that prove the goal (indirect link via KPI)
Performance model — see how goals connect in your company graph
Understanding entities — when to use which record type

Common mistakes

Creating a goal with no linked KPIs — you cannot tell if you are on track
Using the goal name as a project (“Launch CRM project”) instead of an outcome (“Improve sales cycle time”)
Linking KPIs that do not actually measure the goal’s intent
Mixing visibility modes across a confidential goal and its public KPIs