Objective

What is an Objective?

An objective is a larger milestone that brings a team a meaningful step closer to achieving a vision. Each objective statement should contain what it intends to solve, a guiding policy, and a set of actions. These components will remove “fuzzy thinking” from the problem-solving process.

Tip: Objectives should be achievable and within the influence of a team. If a clear set of tasks will complete the objective, the scope of the objective is too narrowly defined.

Note: An objective in the O in the OKR framework.

Examples

Good

Example 1:

Companies using our product will retain employees by increasing engagement, exposing opportunities for internal advancement, and providing support while fostering a healthy work-life balance.

Example 2:

Our product is known for the peace of mind it provides companies on data security, data access control, and threat prevention.

Bad

Example 3:

Users can upload pictures of themselves to their personal albums.

Tip: Notice how the actions in these statements are not specific tasks. Example two describes the specific security aspects the team should optimize, providing guidance to how “peace of mind” can be achieved. Example three provides an action that is closer to a feature detail.