5 bold moves you can make with your target setting in 2025

January 10, 2025 (originally posted on LinkedIn)

The start of the new year is accompanied with more than just the change of a calendar year. Many see it as an opportunity for new resolutions, a fresh start, or a calling for change. Organizations, using a fiscal calendar from Jan-Dec, enter a new year with new objectives, targets and KPI's. Your organization may have already started this process months ago. Yet the cascading process may still be in progress or draft mode or you see your calendar filling up with planning meetings. 

Regardless of company size or approach, this can be a stressful time for the leaders or team members. At Bold2Move, we want to share some bold moves in regards to mindset and behaviours to try in 2025. These tips can be approached by executives, a team leader, or even a team member to make target setting more motivating, more successful and more rewarding. 

(1)🖐️Cascade down targets from the top down

 💡Strategy and an overall north star, can be provided or shared from the top. However, trust your leaders and teams to make it tangible to digest company objectives into what they can achieve at their team level. (We will share more on some research that shares the benefits).

(2)🖐️Make it 'just' a January/beginning of the year activity

 💡Whether you use OKRs, KPI's, SMART or another target deployment method, it is important to review, reflect and re-iterate. And don't wait until it is too late, get these events blocked in your calendar already. These check-ins also provide a chance to evaluate progress, seeing what is on track or even refocusing priorities. (Sites like Miro (or Miroverse), Fun Retrospective and Workpath can give you tips and templates) 

(3)🖐️Overly Ambitious

 💡Create targets that stretch but are still within reason. Keep employees engaged and motivated but setting the bar high, but also providing the space to add more targets or raise the bar in the future. This is instead of getting to 2026 with half achieved targets or goals that demotivated. (more info available, check out this article Criteria & Tips for Drafting professional OKRs and we will share more this month)

(4)🖐️Celebrate only at the end when it is 100%

 💡Find ways to celebrate successes earlier.  This provides the opportunity to share within and across teams, finding best practices, key learnings and a more transparent atmosphere. For example, once a quarter, have a review and retro to capture what is working and what may need to be revised. This is a great opportunity to re-iterate. 

(5)🖐️Stay in your comfort zone 

 💡Be BOLD! Do not be scared to try something new. Whether that is a big move or a small step, reflect on what worked in 2024 and where can you make changes for a bolder and more successful 2025.  (And if you need help with that, reach out we are here to unleash your potential)

Although, at Bold2Move, we of course have our preferences and recommendations based on our experiences and knowledge. There are more resources and methods then what we might have mentioned in this article. We will continue sharing in January our tips for target setting in the new year. We embracing the 'sharing is caring' mindset, if you have a tool, article, or tip - let us know with a comment or a post! We look forward to hearing from you. 

And thank you Microsoft Designer for the tools to make a image for this Article!