January might be the time when everyone discusses goal setting, but you can set goals at any time of the year. Some people even argue January is the time for rest and the best time for goal setting activities is in the spring (when those of us in the Northern Hemisphere actually see the sun. In theory).
It doesn’t really matter, though. Goals can be set at any time of the year. They’re a great motivator whatever level someone is within your organization.
For instance, employees who set goals are 3.6 times more likely to be committed to their employer. What’s more, they’re 14.2 times more likely to feel inspired at work when they set their own goals.
As if that wasn’t enough, they’re also 6.7 times more likely to feel proud of their organization and 6.5 times more likely to recommend it as a great place to work.
So let’s explore how you can help your team do more with effective goal setting activities in 2026:
Be specific
I used to really hate SMART goals. But it turns out this goal setting formula has its benefits—over 80% of people perform better when goals are specific and challenging compared to people with vague or no goals.
Over a third of leaders, meanwhile, think the main cause of failure is because goals aren’t clear enough.
Following a formula such as SMART for your goal setting activities ensures goals feel more concrete. It clearly answers the question as to whether or not an employee has achieved the goal.
For instance “sell more” is a vague goal. How much? By when? Using what methods?
“Upsell five customers by the end of Q1” is far more specific.
Goals can also help employees with their learning objectives: those with clear goals are 8.1 times more likely to find new ways to improve at work.
Use OKRs
OKRs—objectives and key results—is a form of goal setting activities where you specify what the goal (objective) is, and how you’ll know if you’ve attained it (key results).
They have a big impact, too: more than 64% of employees think their company is successful after implementing OKRs. That’s compared to just 39% who don’t.
Give it a timeframe
Whatever type of goals you set, you need to be clear about what the timeframe is.
Many people work better toward a deadline because it makes it feel more urgent, so then they want to work on it and have fewer excuses to procrastinate.
Make sure when you agree on a date as part of your goal setting activities, it’s a date that’s doable. But perhaps a little outside of employees’ comfort zone to help drive them.
Make it a little uncomfortable
Our greatest growth comes from being outside of our comfort zones. I’m not talking about jumping out of an airplane if you’re afraid of heights, but a salesperson could aim to earn slightly more than they think they’re capable of, for example. This pushes them to do more, to think differently, and to aim higher.
When employees set difficult goals, they report 34% higher job satisfaction compared to those who have less challenging objectives.
However, only 33% of entry-level or operational-level employees set difficult goals, compared to 54% of top-level executives. I’d argue that entry-level employees could benefit more from these goals, though, as they have more to learn.
But for them to feel comfortable aiming high, they need the support of their manager and colleagues. This includes before, during, and after goal setting activities.
Use feedback to create better goals
Combining feedback and goal setting activitiess leads to a performance increase of 30% compared to using one or the other. This makes sense, because feedback can point employees in the direction of where they need to grow their skills and what their next goal should be.
Get your managers involved
While managers and supervisors should set their own goals, they should also help their employees achieve theirs. They can offer advice and support when goals seem challenging, and provide coping mechanisms so that the weight of what they’re trying to achieve doesn’t get them down.
When employees regularly meet with supervisors around goal setting activities, it boosts morale by five times. It also increases employee motivation when their goals are adjusted for current market conditions and priorities.
It makes sense: employees know that what they’re working on makes a difference to the business and wider industry as opposed to feeling like they’re doing their role for the sake of it.
Use your ERGs
Employee groups help employees stay focused on their goals or even work out which ones to set through group-sponsored goal setting activities. Colleagues can share resources, offer moral support, and even mentor employees towards achieving their goals.
Want to get more from your ERGs? Workrowd can help make your groups easier to find, navigate, and benefit from.
Tell everyone
A little bit of repetition goes a long way. Over half of 11,000 employees couldn’t name their organization’s top three goals. Which either means the company doesn’t have them, or it’s not reiterating them enough.
So, even if you feel like you’re repeating yourself for the 10,000th time, remember that there will be someone who’s new, been sick, or otherwise out of the office so won’t have seen what your new goals are. It happens.
Reminders are always useful, too, as they can help keep employees focused. It gives them a lens through which to view what they’re doing, so then they can prioritize based on how much a task will contribute to business goals.
Conclusion
How you get there doesn’t really matter. What matters is the results. Be sure you’re setting specific goals that are a little outside of employees’ comfort zones. You never know what they might achieve. Heck, they might even surprise themselves.
Want to support your employees with more effective goal setting activities that help them achieve and exceed their objectives? Try Workrowd for managing your employee initiatives. Get in touch to book your free demo.
