Strategic Goal Setting for Multiple Projects

Bad goal setting can cripple your business (I know from firsthand experience). Here's how to set goals that propel your business forward. Step 1: Analyze last year’s performance. You can’t set the right goals without the correct information. So, take some time to gather data from the previous year to find areas of strength and weakness. Look at your: Revenue streams — what are your most profitable areas? Your biggest cost centers? Sales & marketing — can you spot trends in customer acquisition or marketing ROI? Operations — where is your business bottlenecked? Where might you be overstaffed? Employee performance — look at productivity and churn. Which direction are things going? — Step 2: Brainstorm areas for improvement. Write down all the possible things you could work on. This is a great group activity for your leadership team or even the whole company (depending on your size). The data you’ve collected in step 1 should give you some idea of opportunity areas. One tip: don’t discount an idea just because it’s hard. Often the biggest impact things are hard to do. But you should be realistic about the effort required to get something done, and its chances of success. — Step 3: Set SMART goals Specific: Define clear and precise goals. Instead of saying "increase sales," say "increase sales by 12% in the next 6 months." Measurable: Ensure each goal has quantifiable metrics. E.g. "Reduce customer acquisition costs by 15% by the end of the year." Achievable: Set realistic goals based on your resources, budget and other constraints. E.g. if you have limited cash, avoid goals that would severely impact your monthly cash flow. Relevant: Align goals with your overall business objectives. Ensure they address the key areas for improvement identified earlier. Time-bound: Set deadlines for each goal. E.g. "launch a new service by Q3." — Step 4: Develop an Action Plan For each goal, create an action plan that outlines: Steps and Milestones: Break down each goal into smaller, manageable tasks. Set milestones to track progress. Resources: Identify the resources needed (time, money, personnel) and ensure they are available. Responsibilities: Assign tasks to specific employees. Ensure everyone understands their role and what is expected of them. Timeline: Establish a timeline with deadlines for each task and milestone. Doubling down on one point there: always assign tasks to a single person. They can still bring in other people to contribute, but it’s one person’s responsibility to get it across the finish line. — Step 5: Monitor and Adjust Goals are not static. Regularly check your progress, and adjust based on new insights or changing circumstances. Schedule monthly and/or quarterly reviews to keep everything on track. Having a simple KPI tracker is a good way to keep tabs on things. Make sure you’re regularly checking in, and ask people to flag any roadblocks or necessary adjustments as soon as they identify them.

To be effective, the implementation of your nonprofit organization's strategic plan needs to be connected to how your team already works. Because no matter how smart your strategy is, it won’t implement itself. One way I help my clients get to that clarity is by using a bit of an OKR approach: Strategic Priority → Intent → 𝗢bjective → 𝗞ey 𝗥esult Areas If you're not already familiar, OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are a goal-setting framework developed at Intel by Andy Grove to help turn strategic priorities into focused, measurable actions. Defining what you want to achieve and how you'll track progress. The 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 piece was added later by purpose-driven organizations. It’s vital as it helps everyone align on why this focus matters now. I like this OKR-plus-Intent chain because it forces clarity at every level. Grounding goals in purpose, sharpening what success looks like, and giving your team a shared language to move forward with. Looks like this: • 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 is the big-picture area your organization is focused on.   Ex. Strengthen community engagement.    • 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 explains why this priority matters now and what change you’re trying to create.   Ex. Build deeper relationships with families and create two-way feedback.    • 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 defines what you want to achieve in the next 90 days. Clear and actionable.   Ex. Launch a consistent feedback loop by September 15.    • 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 outline how you’ll measure progress with specific, trackable indicators that show movement. (You'll have 2-3 for each objective).   Ex. Launch at least one regular, structured feedback channel (monthly family forum, digital survey, or suggestion box) by ________. 𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙯𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝟭. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 Look at team routines already happening and build on those. Ex. One org added a 5-minute “strategic check-in” to their existing weekly huddle. No new meeting. Just a clearer focus. 𝟮. 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀. Clear ownership builds momentum. Ex. Instead of “Program team will lead community events,”-> “Simon will coordinate three listening sessions by Sept 15.” 𝟯. 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗱𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗲. Strategy should evolve as your team learns. Ex. One team checks in on Key Results with: • What’s coming up? • What’s off track? • What needs to shift? 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙨: Because it turns strategy into action your team can actually take. You build from what’s already working, so it’s doable now, within currently available resources. And create clarity and rhythm, making it durable over time. Doable and durable means progress without the pressure cooker. So no burnout needed.

Most companies default to one of three goal-setting frameworks: SMART, OKRs, or BHAG. Over the past 3 years I’ve used these three frameworks. Each of them have a use case, but they have one major: they all assume your plan will go smoothly. So earlier this year we switched to WOOP and haven’t looked back… What’s WOOP? ▪️ Wish – What are you actually trying to achieve? ▪️ Outcome – What does success look like? ▪️ Obstacles – What's most likely to derail it? ▪️ Plan – What's your exact response when it does? It's that third step—identifying the obstacles—that makes WOOP different from all the other frameworks. We recently rolled out a new process to speed up partner onboarding. Goal was simple: reduce time-to-close by 30%. But we knew upfront that document turnaround would be the killer—legal reviews, internal approvals, endless back-and-forth. So we planned for it. We built a shared dashboard to track every doc in real-time. Our company admin stays on top of everyone—nudging, following up, making sure nothing falls through the cracks. That one move—calling out the obstacle early and assigning clear ownership—kept everything moving. This approach has worked for us in both our businesses, even though obstacle planning looks completely different. At Eastman Residential , we're developing and repositioning rental housing and student housing across multiple markets—tons of moving parts, regulatory hurdles, construction delays. At Cosign, we're streamlining one process: connecting renters with cosigners and improving occupancy / conversions for landlords. Different friction points, same framework.

When you’re in the weeds. You lose sight of the forest. As a PM or PMO leader, it’s easy to get lost in the weeds of tasks and meetings. Here are 5 ways to maintain your balance: 1. Set Clear, Measurable Goals → Align your daily tasks with strategic outcomes. → E.g. for PMs: Break down large strategic goals into clear, actionable project deliverables that tie back to company growth. → E.g. for PMO Leaders: Set quarterly KPIs that reflect both project performance and alignment with overall business objectives, ensuring every project contributes to the organization’s strategy. 2. Prioritize Based on Impact → Focus on the projects that move the needle. → E.g. for PMs: Use a scoring model to evaluate project value against resources and impact, ensuring priority is given to high-value tasks. → E.g. for PMO Leaders: Evaluate portfolio health regularly to ensure the most strategically important projects are prioritized across all teams and resources are allocated effectively. 3. Communicate the Vision Regularly → Help your team see the bigger picture. → E.g. for PMs: Take time during project kickoffs to connect each task to a larger business goal, helping the team understand the “why” behind their work. → E.g. for PMO Leaders: Hold quarterly strategy sessions to remind teams of the larger vision and how each department's efforts align with the overall business strategy. 4. Make Data-Driven Adjustments → Use metrics to guide both strategy and execution. → E.g. for PMs: Track project performance through regular checkpoints and adjust execution strategies when metrics show a shift in progress. → E.g. for PMO Leaders: Implement dashboards to continuously measure both project outcomes and alignment with strategic goals, adjusting resource allocation as necessary to keep on track. 5. Create Cross-Functional Collaboration → Break silos and encourage communication. → E.g. for PMs: Involve stakeholders from different departments early in the process to ensure project deliverables meet cross-departmental needs and expectations. → E.g. for PMO Leaders: Facilitate regular cross-functional reviews to ensure all teams are aligned with the long-term vision and that execution strategies are adaptable to shifting organizational priorities. Strategic vision without tactical execution is just a plan. Tactical execution without strategic vision is wasted effort. Strike the balance, and you’ll achieve real, impactful success. -- 👍 + ♻️ Like + Repost if this resonates with you. 🔔 Follow me (Hussain Bandukwala) for more content like this.

Managing multiple projects? What if there’s a way to evaluate and learn across all of them as a unified whole, instead of treating them separately? That’s portfolio-level Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL). This is a great resource that shows you how to connect the dots, track overarching goals, and maximize impact across your entire programme. Here’s what you’ll learn from this guide: 1. What Portfolio-Level MEL Really Means ↳ Understand how portfolio-level MEL differs from project-level evaluation. It focuses on strategic insights across a collection of projects rather than isolated outcomes. 2. Aligning Projects with Broader Objectives ↳ Learn how to connect individual project goals to overarching organisational or programmatic strategies, ensuring a cohesive approach to achieving impact. 3. Key Principles of Portfolio-Level MEL ↳ Discover the foundational principles that drive successful portfolio-level MEL, including adaptability, inclusivity, and the integration of learning into decision-making. 4. Designing an Effective MEL System ↳ Get step-by-step guidance on creating a MEL system that tracks performance, fosters accountability, and supports learning across diverse projects. 5.Tools and Methods for Data Collection ↳ Explore practical tools and techniques to aggregate and analyze data at the portfolio level, ensuring consistency while accommodating project-specific nuances. 6. Overcoming Common Challenges ↳ Address typical challenges like data inconsistency, varying project timelines, and ensuring stakeholder buy-in with expert advice from the guide. The document is written for the Norwegian context, but has wider applicability. 🔔 Join the M&E Academy to stay current with the latest developments in the M&E field. https://lnkd.in/epqEsMF6 #PortfolioEvaluation #Portfolio

I recently reviewed a strategic plan that had a familiar pattern. 5 Pillars. 4 Goals per pillar. 6 Initiatives per goal. The math? 120 'priority' initiatives. That's on top of everything you do each day. Here's the thing: we're high achievers. We don't want to say no to a good idea, especially when a Board member or a donor is behind it. But when everything is a priority, nothing is. This is how "Strategic Drift" happens. You aren't struggling because of a lack of effort. You're struggling because your leadership team's capacity is being strained by the sheer volume of motion relative to progress. Strategic plans don't usually just stop. They evaporate into the daily grind. They stall under the weight of 120 competing "must-dos." The fix? Move from a Planning Mindset to an Operating Mindset. At MoonshotOS, we help schools build a formal School Operating System. It's the bridge between your high-level strategy and your Tuesday morning reality. Three shifts: • Define Your Critical Annual Priorities: I facilitate the conversations that help leadership teams stop listing and start deciding. We take that list of 120 and distill it down to the vital few that will actually move the needle this year. • The 90-Day Rule: Once you have your annual focus, you stop looking at the 5-year horizon and start looking at the next 90 days. You might select 5, 6, or 8 projects to move simultaneously, but the deadline remains the same. Shorter horizons create the urgency needed to actually finish what you start. • Change the Meeting: If your meetings are just people reporting on how busy they are, you aren't leading, you're spectating. Use that time to unblock the work and ensure those 90-day goals stay on track. You don't necessarily need a new plan. You need a better system to run the one you have. Are you managing 120 initiatives or a focused set of 90 day goals?