Why Businesses Set Goals
Every business began with a reason.
- Some founders saw a need in the market and stepped in to fill it.
- Some started a company almost by accident and discovered they loved the work.
- Some believed they had an idea that could change how their industry operates.
That early conviction is powerful. It’s what pushes someone to take the risk of building something from nothing.
But once the company is established and the early momentum settles, many leaders find themselves asking a quieter question:
What are we actually trying to build?
Success creates motion. Revenue comes in. Teams grow. New opportunities appear.
But motion is not the same thing as direction.
At this stage, many leaders begin setting goals because they believe they’re supposed to. Revenue targets. Growth percentages. Milestones for the year.
The problem is that goals set this way often lack meaning.
A revenue goal might be achieved without improving the profitability of the business. A growth milestone might add complexity without strengthening the company. Teams may work harder without moving the organization closer to the outcome the founder originally cared about.
Meaningful goals begin somewhere deeper than the annual plan.
They begin with vision.
- Some leaders want to build a company they can eventually exit.
- Some want to create a workplace their employees are proud to be part of.
- Some want to be known for changing how their industry works.
Each of those visions leads to a different kind of business.
Annual goals are simply the steps that move the company closer to that vision.
They are the markers that show whether the business is moving in the right direction.
When a company hits a revenue target, the real question isn’t simply whether the number was achieved.
The real question is: What changed because we hit it?
- Did the business become more profitable?
- Did the team benefit from the success?
- Did the company move closer to the future the founder wants to create?
Goals only matter when they move the business toward a meaningful outcome.
Otherwise, they are just numbers on a scoreboard.
SMART Goals
One of the most widely used frameworks for setting business goals is known as SMART goals.
The idea is simple - a well-written goal should be:
- Specific — clearly defining what success looks like.
- Measurable — progress can be tracked objectively.
- Attainable — the organization has a realistic path to achieving it.
- Relevant — the goal aligns with the priorities of the business.
- Time-bound — there is a defined timeframe for achieving the result.
For decades, SMART goals have been considered the gold standard for writing effective goals in business. They help leaders move from vague ambitions to goals that are clear and trackable.
But SMART goals solve only part of the problem. They help leaders write goals clearly, but they do not necessarily ensure the goal itself is meaningful.
For example, a company might set a goal to increase revenue by 20%. The goal is specific, measurable, and achievable within the timeframe.
But if that additional revenue simply increases operating costs, adds complexity to the organization, or stretches the team without improving the strength of the business, the company may not actually be better off.
The goal was achieved, but nothing truly improved.
The SMART framework requires goals to be Relevant to the priorities of the business. That’s good guidance, but it assumes something important — that the company’s priorities are already well defined.
In practice, many organizations default to priorities like increasing revenue, adding customers, or expanding operations. These priorities often feel inherently positive, so goals built around them easily pass the SMART test.
But bigger does not always mean better.
If revenue grows while operating costs grow at the same pace, the company may simply become a larger version of the same business. The team works harder. Complexity increases. But the underlying strength of the business remains unchanged.
SMARTER Goals
To address this, Measured in Millions® takes the framework two steps further.
In addition to being Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound, meaningful goals should also answer two deeper questions:
- End Game — Is the goal anchored to the future the company is ultimately trying to create?
- Real Impact — If the goal is achieved, does the business actually become stronger?
These two considerations push leaders to look beyond the wording of a goal and examine what the goal is truly designed to accomplish.
When a goal is anchored to the company’s end game and produces real impact for the organization, it stops being just a number to chase and becomes a deliberate step toward building the business leadership actually wants to create.
MiM™ guides leaders through making SMARTER goals.
The Role of the Coach
Setting meaningful goals is harder than it seems.
Leaders are often close to their business. They see the opportunities, the pressures, and the day-to-day realities of running the company. That perspective is valuable, but it can also make it difficult to step back and evaluate goals objectively.
This is where the MiM™ Coach plays an important role.
The Coach acts as a guide in the conversation. Your role is not to impose goals on the leadership team, but to help leaders examine their thinking more carefully.
They ask questions that challenge assumptions.
Why is this goal important to the business?
What would actually change if it were achieved?
How would the company become stronger as a result?
These questions often reveal whether a goal is truly meaningful or simply familiar.
Sometimes the answers confirm that the goal is sound. Other times they uncover gaps in the thinking that deserve more attention before a goal is finalized.
The Coach helps leadership move beyond default assumptions and toward goals that genuinely strengthen the business.
When that clarity is established, the leadership team can pursue their goals with far greater confidence.
This Philosophy in Action
This philosophy comes to life through the Growth Plan Design™ program.
In this program, leaders work through a structured set of conversations designed to translate ambition into a practical plan for the business.
Together, the leadership team and Coach examine the company’s goals, its current economic reality, and the priorities that will most meaningfully strengthen the organization.
By the end of the process, the leadership team has more than a set of targets — they have a growth plan grounded in the realities of the business and aligned with the future they want to build.