Develop a Culture of Goal Setting

With a new year, leaders can shape their organization’s future by modeling purposeful, measurable goals, empowering their teams and creating a lasting culture of goal setting.

by David Wynn

Director of Technical Services & Industry Affairs, PMPA

Published January 1, 2026

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A new year is upon us. It is the time for leaders to cast a vision for our organizations in this new year. We build goals around that vision to make it a reality. It is important to set goals. Goals are the cornerstone of high-achieving shops. However, before we can set goals for our shop performers, it is critical that we, as leaders, have our own goals in order. When goals are used properly, they have an almost magic power to drive the leader’s vision. For our goals to be effective we must be sure they reflect that vision. When goals are used properly, they guide all actions in a shop. Have we set and are we following goals for ourselves?

As leaders we are the example for goal setting. We want our performers to be setting and achieving goals. It is important for us as leaders to set goals for ourselves and let the team know about it. We must show our own commitment to the cause. By demonstrating success at using goals, our model can both teach and inspire our performers. What is a good goal? How do we set and accomplish relevant goals? Let’s take a look.

Anatomy of a Goal

What is being accomplished?
This is the beginning of the goal. List out what is going to be done. Make it specific. Ensure that it is measurable. Make sure it is a bit of a stretch. It is amazing how far a leader can go when the leader starts working systematically toward a goal, so do not be afraid to push.

What is the due date?
Setting a due date. This step is critical. If the leader does not have a set time to get it done, then it is not a goal, it is a dream. The leader needs a date to have it achieved by and set target check-ins, so the goal does not get behind. Due dates make the organization accountable to its vision.

How is the goal going to be measured?
It must be measurable. Is the organization going to increase efficiencies by 10%? Are we accomplishing 5S in a department? Remember Boolean (true/false) goals are still a measure. Either it is achieved or not.

Who is responsible for achieving the goal?
Who is the person that will be held accountable for the goal completion. If it is a personal goal, then you should be looking in the mirror. For company goals, the leader must build a team around them to help hold the leader accountable. The leader’s job is to ensure the team has both responsibility and authority to accomplish their own goals. The leader cannot hold the team accountable for achieving goals for which they do not have the power to allocate resources.

The Culture

It is important for the leader to communicate goals, even personal goals, with the team. As leaders we are the drivers of culture in our shops. If we want a culture of goal setting, we must set the example. Leaders should show how their own success is built on goals. Leaders then can elevate their team by showing them how the team can grow with goals. This is how leaders can build high-achieving teams in their shops. 

Once the leader has established an example of successful goal setting, the organization will embrace the culture of setting goals. It becomes self-perpetuating. The leader, by example, has established a culture where performers are empowered to create goals. Performance and job satisfaction will increase. Now the leader can create and share the vision and allow the performers to set goals to achieve that vision. Leaders communicate the process of setting goals and the achievement of those goals with team. Giving the team ownership in the goals allows the leader to cascade the feeling of accomplishment to all members. Each department can create a vision based on the company vision. Now the performers in each of those departments can set their goals to align with the departmental vision which is aligned to the company vision. We now have complete and total alignment from top to bottom. The leader has now created a culture of goal setting. 

Take time to cast the vision and build goals around the vision. Clearly communicating the path for achieving that vision. It is a new year. With it comes new beginnings and a chance to use the calendar as the reset button to refocus our efforts for our organizations. Go and create a culture of 
goal setting. 

Author

David Wynn is the PMPA Director of Technical Services & Industry Affairs with over 20 years of experience in the areas of manufacturing, quality, ownership, IT and economics. Email David