Creating a goal cycle
A goal cycle sets targets for a period and tracks them to a rating at the end. The design decisions that matter are made before it starts: what is measured, how much each goal counts, and who sets them.
Where: Performance › Settings › Cycles You need: the right to create goal cycles
Before You Start
Decide who sets goals. Cycle goals apply to everyone; assigned goals come from a manager; personal goals come from the employee. Most companies use a mix, and it should be a deliberate mix rather than whatever happens.
Decide the priorities you will use. Priority is a weight, not an adjective:
| Priority | Weight |
|---|---|
| Critical | 1.0 |
| Major | 0.5 |
| Minor | 0.25 |
⚠️ If every goal is Critical, weighting is switched off and every goal counts the same. Decide up front how many Critical goals a person should reasonably have — usually very few.
Write KPIs that are numeric and checkable. Each KPI has a maximum value, and progress is measured against it. A vague KPI cannot be scored honestly by anyone.
How to create the cycle
- Open Performance › Settings › Cycles and create a goal cycle.
- Set the period.
- Add any cycle goals — these apply to everyone, so word them carefully.
- Choose participants and their reviewers.
- Decide whether employees may add personal goals.
- Publish.
The four kinds of goal
| Type | Comes from |
|---|---|
| Cycle | The cycle itself — everyone gets it |
| Assigned | A manager assigning it to someone |
| Personal | The employee adding their own |
| Associated | Associating an existing goal |
What Happens Next
- Participants are notified and can see their goals.
- Progress is recorded against each KPI's maximum value through the period.
- At the end, reviewers rate goals from 1 to 5, and those ratings feed team reporting and the talent grid.
- The cycle moves from pending on the employee, to pending on the reviewer, to completed.
Tips
- Agree goals at the start, not retrospectively. A goal written near the end of a period is a description of what happened, not a target.
- Limit Critical goals to two or three per person. Beyond that, weighting stops discriminating and everything is urgent.
- Check every cycle goal reads sensibly for the whole population — a goal that makes sense for sales may be meaningless for finance.
- Set KPI maximums to something achievable. They are the denominator of every progress figure.
- Give reviewers guidance on the 1–5 scale before the cycle closes. A 4 puts someone in Exceeds on the talent grid, and reviewers should know that.
Troubleshooting / FAQ
Q: A goal appeared for everyone. It is a cycle goal. Those apply to all participants.
Q: Progress is stuck low. Check the KPI's maximum value — progress is measured against it.
Q: Two people met the same targets but scored differently. Check the priorities on their goals; a Critical goal is worth four Minor ones.
Q: Can employees add their own goals? Yes, if you allow personal goals in the cycle.
Q: Someone joined mid-cycle. They have less of the period to achieve in. Decide whether to add them, and whether their rating is comparable.
Related articles
- Goals and KPIs: how progress is calculated
- Reviewing and tracking team goals
- Recurring cycles and automations
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