Goals empower organizations to track the progress of initiatives across Projects and Portfolios. Examples of organizational Goals include:
A product development epic
A target for completed projects in a year
A team’s task completion KPIs
A revenue target for a quarter
...and many more!
Goals can be tracked through Selected Tasks, Lists, and Custom Fields, and can serve as either static or dynamic targets. Check out the video below, and keep reading to learn more!
Creating and Using Goals
Who Can Create Goals:
Goals can be created by the Workspace Owner, Admins, and members with specific Custom Role permissions.
Ways to Use Goals:
There are various ways to set and track Goals, which can fundamentally change how they are managed. For example, you can:
Set a goal to close 100 tasks for a team
Track 40 hours as an individual
Complete all Tasks with a specified Tag
Parameters for Setting and Measuring Goals:
The parameters for your Goal are determined by:
Progress Source
Track Metric
Target
Progress Source
The Progress Source allows you to specify or automate the Tasks added to a Goal based on your selected parameter. These are the inputs that contribute to the goal.
Selected Tasks and Lists: Attributes Tasks to a Goal based on your specific selection.
Tasks with Custom Field: Automatically attributes Tasks to a Goal when they have a value inputted into the specified Custom Field.
Tasks with Tag: Automatically attributes Tasks to a Goal if they have the specified Tag applied to them.
Tasks with Assignee Tag: Automatically attributes Tasks to a Goal if they are assigned to someone with the specified User Tag.
Tasks with Assignee: Automatically attributes Tasks to a Goal if they are assigned to the specified person.
Tip: Use Tags or Custom Fields to attribute Tasks from different Projects to a singular Goal automatically. This is particularly useful for tracking Epics, Product Launches, or coordinating across Projects.
Track Metric
The Track Metric defines how this Goal will be measured. This is the specific data we're tracking from a Task that contributes to the Goal.
Tasks Count measures the amount of completed Tasks.
Tracked Time measures the amount of time tracked.
Story Points measures the amount of Story Points.
Custom Field Value measures the value of a numeric Custom Field.
Target
The Target defines how the Track Metric will reach the Goal and can be set manually or updated based on the array of Tasks tied to the Goal.
Dynamic Targets: Update themselves automatically to summarize the Track Metric when Tasks are added, removed, or updated within the Goal.
Static Targets: Set a predefined numeric Target against which the Track Metric is compared.
Goals advance as Tasks within them are completed, even if the Goal's Track Metric is not Task Count. For instance, a Goal with a Track Metric of Story Points will show progress based on the sum of the Story Points of the completed Tasks within the Goal.
You can find examples of different Goal configurations in the following section of this help article.
Creating a Goal
Goals can be created by the Workspace Owner, Admins, or those of a Custom Role with specified permissions. Start by selecting the + Add a Goal button in the top right of the Goals section.
You can begin by naming your Goal and giving it a description.
Privacy determines what workspace members should be able to see this Goal. The Selected members option will allow you to further customize who should and should not be able to see this Goal.
Target Date is when the Goal should ideally be completed by.
Progress Source determines what array of Tasks are contributing towards the Goal Track Metric determines the specific data within the Tasks we're tracking, and the Target defines how the Track Metric will reach the Goal.
Creating the Perfect Goal
Refer to the chart below to learn more about how the different configurations will impact how Goals are measured.
Progress Source | Track Metric | Target | Outcome |
Selected Tasks and Lists | Tasks count | Dynamic | The Goal's completion percentage will be measured by the amount of open selected Tasks vs. completed selected Tasks.
eg: Complete all of selected Tasks |
|
| Static | The Target Value will determine how many selected Tasks must be completed to reach the Goal.
eg: Complete 100 selected Tasks |
| Tracked time | Dynamic |
|
|
| Static | The Target Value will determine how much time on selected Tasks must be tracked to reach the Goal.
eg: Track 40 hours this week |
| Custom Field value | Dynamic | The Goal's completion percentage will be measured by the summed value of the custom field of open selected Tasks vs. the summed value of the custom field completed selected Tasks.
eg: Summarize how long all of these Tasks took |
|
|
| The Target Value will be the Goal value by which the summed custom field values of completed selected Tasks are compared.
eg: $50,000 of closed business |
Automated Sources (Tag, User Tag, Custom Fields, and Assignees) |
|
| The above scenarios apply to automated sources, however Tasks will be applied and removed from the Goal automatically based on the source. |
Selected vs. Automatic Progress Sources
When a Goal is created with the Select Tasks & Lists option, you will be able to select the desired Tasks from within the Tasks section of the Goal and Lists from the Lists section of the Goal. As you type, autofill options will appear from within your Workspace and will indicate the Project that the Task or List exists in.
You can also attribute Tasks & Lists to a Goal from within their respective option dot menus.
Goals created based on a parameter such as Custom Field, Tag, User Tag, or Assignee will automatically add Tasks into it that qualify. This array will update dynamically if more Tasks are created that qualify for the Goal, or if parameters are removed from the Tasks that make them no longer associate with the Goal.
Observing Goal Progress & Editing a Goal
Your Goal progress will change as the Tasks within your Goal are completed and as more Tasks are added to your Goal in accordance to your Track Metric. You can review the details of your Goal by clicking on the Goal to open it.
While you can edit some details of your Goal, such as Target date and Target, you must create a new goal if you wish to have a different Progress Source or Track Metric. To edit these items, click on them from within an open Goal.
If a Goal's Target date passes and the Goal is not complete, the Goal's status will change from On Track to Off Track and will show as red.
Goal Groups and Visualizing Goals
Goals will automatically appear in the order of their Target Date, with the soonest Target Date at the top. That said, you can create Goal Groups to bundle Goals together by initiatives.
When Goal Groups are created, they will order themselves alphabetically, and the Goals within them will order based on soonest Target Date.
Creating a Goal Group
Use the Create a Goal Group button on the Goals screen to get started.
From here, you will name and provide a description of your Goal. Examples of Goal Groups might be Q4 Sales Objectives, or Product Launch Event, the latter of which would unite product, engineering, and marketing Tasks.
Once established, you can create new Goals within the Group. If you have existing Goals that you'd like to add into the Group, you can do so via the Goal settings.
