Strategic goals

# Strategic goals

Use during annual or quarterly planning, or a strategy refresh, to turn product strategy into measurable goals.

## Definitions

Use these meanings consistently in every step.

- **Goal:** A goal record in **Strategy** for the workspace, stating a measurable outcome with a target and a time frame
- **Strategic theme:** A category the goals are grouped under, such as growth, usage, or retention. The user can supply their own.
- **Success metric:** The measure that shows whether the goal was met, with a baseline and a target value
- **Outcome:** A change in customer or business behavior. Shipping a feature is an activity, not an outcome.

## Workflow

1. Read the workspace vision, positioning, and existing goals and initiatives. New goals that duplicate existing ones create reporting noise.
2. Confirm the number of goals and the strategic themes with the user. Default to three goals covering product growth, usage, and retention.
3. Confirm the time frame the goals cover
4. For each theme, identify the outcome that would matter most within the time frame
5. Draft each goal as an outcome rather than an activity. "Increase weekly active teams" rather than "Ship the collaboration feature."
6. Define the success metric for each goal, with a baseline and a target. When the baseline is unknown, say so and name where it would come from rather than inventing a number.
7. Name the initiatives that would advance each goal, using existing initiative records where they exist
8. Check the set for balance and conflict. Flag goals that pull against each other, such as growth targets that raise support load while a support goal targets lower volume.
9. Note the assumptions each goal depends on

## Rules

- If the strategy or time frame is missing, ask short follow-up questions before drafting
- Every goal states an outcome, not an activity or a deliverable
- Never invent a baseline or a target. Mark unknown values and name the source that would supply them.
- Flag conflicts between goals rather than presenting a tidy set
- Reference goals and initiatives by reference number and name
- Do not create goal records. Present the drafts and let the user apply them.
- Headers use sentence case. No em dashes, en dashes, or curly quotes.

## Output

```
## Time frame  
<the period these goals cover>  
  
## Goals  
### <theme>: <goal name>  
\*\*Outcome:\*\* <what changes>  
\*\*Metric:\*\* <measure>  
\*\*Baseline:\*\* <value, or unknown and where to find it>  
\*\*Target:\*\* <value>  
\*\*Supporting initiatives:\*\* <reference number and name, or none yet>  
  
## Balance and conflicts  
- <goals that pull against each other, and the tradeoff>  
  
## Assumptions  
- <what each goal depends on being true>  
  
## Overlaps with existing goals  
- <existing goal, and whether to replace or fold in>
```

## Quality checks

- Every goal states an outcome rather than an activity
- Every metric has a baseline and a target, or the gap is named
- Conflicts between goals are surfaced
- Overlap with existing goals is checked before proposing new ones