Goals

Create a goal

1. Open Goals in the Workspace section of the sidebar.
2. In Add goal, enter a title.
3. Add a description, priority, numeric target, current value, checklist, or notes as needed.
4. Open SMART details to define the outcome and success criteria.
5. Select a due date when the goal has a deadline.
6. Click Add Goal. The new goal appears in Current goals.

Only the title is required. Existing descriptions and notes remain available when you add SMART details.

By default, managers and administrators can create goals for other staff. Other staff can create only their own goals. Custom role permissions can change this access. When you add a goal for someone who does not report directly to you, the form warns you to coordinate with their manager. The warning does not prevent creation. If they have no assigned manager, coordinate with them instead.

Define SMART details

Use the optional fields to make the goal clearer:

• Specific describes exactly what you want to achieve.
• Measurable describes how you will know you succeeded.
• Achievable records Yes, No, or Unanswered. An unanswered goal does not assume it is achievable.
• Relevant explains why the goal matters.
• Time bound (due date) sets the deadline using the existing due date.

The narrative SMART fields each accept up to 2,000 characters. Numeric targets are optional and separate from your written success measure.

Update a goal

1. Click the pencil icon on the goal card.
2. Edit the title, description, priority, due date, or SMART details.
3. To clear a SMART detail, erase its text or select Unanswered for Achievable.
4. Click Save changes.

For goals without checklist steps, use the slider or click the current / target values and enter a new current value. When both numeric values exist and the target is positive, Core calculates the percentage from current value divided by target value.

Active goals complete at 100%. Lowering their progress reopens them. Paused and cancelled goals keep their status when progress changes. The goal's status determines its completion badge and summary count. For goals without checklist steps, an explicit status change through an authorized agent can reopen a goal without changing its numeric values or percentage. To reopen a completed checklist goal, uncheck a step.

Track a goal with a checklist

Add optional checklist steps while creating or editing a goal. Each step counts equally toward the progress bar. For example, completing one of four steps shows 25%. Checking every step completes an active goal; unchecking a step reopens it. Paused and cancelled goals keep their status.

Use the goal card checkboxes to track completed steps. Select the pencil icon to add, rename, or remove steps. Each goal supports up to 100 steps, with a title of 1 to 200 characters per step. Readers can view steps but need update permission to change them.

When a checklist has steps, it controls progress instead of the slider or numeric values. Removing every step restores numeric progress when a target and current value exist; otherwise it keeps the last percentage for manual tracking. If someone changes the goal while you edit, cancel and reopen the editor to load the latest version before saving again.

Record notes and delete goals

Use Add notes or Edit notes to record next steps. Notes are visible to staff who can read the goal; they are not private to the goal owner.

To delete a goal, click its trash icon and confirm. Deletion permanently removes the goal and its progress.

View a staff member's goals

Use Show completed goals beside Current goals to show or hide completed goals. This switch is available to everyone who can view the page, whether viewing their own goals or another staff member's. Completed goals are shown by default. The filter changes only your current view; summary totals still include every goal. Paused and cancelled goals remain visible.

Select Goals beside a staff member in Settings > Members, on their member profile, or in a team's roster. The team member dashboard also has a Goals action and an active Goals card with View all. If you can create goals, Add goal in that card opens the creation form, including when the member already has goals. The full goals page includes all statuses.

In Office, select a person and choose View goals, or use their row's Goals action in list view. On a phone, open Actions for [name] to find it. My goals is also available in the Office controls, the dashboard Quick Actions card and header menu, and the global search navigation commands. Search for goals, personal, progress, or smart.

These actions require permission to read goals. Person actions appear only for eligible staff. Office wall displays omit Goals actions. The personal destination also requires your account to have a staff member record.

Staff with goal read permission can view all staff goals within their workspace, including descriptions, SMART details, and notes. Visibility is not limited to the goal owner or their manager. Self-management permission permits changes only to your own staff goals. Workspace-wide create, update, and delete permissions apply independently, including when a custom role grants only one action. Portal users cannot read or manage staff goals.

Add an external goals link

Use the link control in the goals page header to save an external goals URL and optional label. The link opens the external tool. Core does not import or synchronize goals from that tool.

Goals track individual staff objectives. They do not provide goal hierarchies, linked work items, or a goal archive.

See also

• Team Management