Audience: Customer
Module: Strategy
Time to complete: 10–15 minutes
Applies to: All plans
Quick answer
Strategic objectives define what must be achieved to realise your goals, while KPIs measure whether you are making progress.
Understanding the difference
Many SMEs confuse goals, objectives, and KPIs.
• Strategic goal: The outcome you want to achieve
• Strategic objective: What must happen to reach that goal
• KPI: How you measure progress objectively
Example:
• Goal: Grow revenue
• Objective: Increase qualified leads
• KPI: Number of qualified leads per month
Step-by-step
1. Start with one strategic goal select a goal already defined in the Strategy module.
2. Define 2–4 strategic objectives per goal ask:
o What must be true for this goal to be achieved?
o What outcomes matter most?
3. Assign KPIs to each objective good KPIs are:
o Quantifiable
o Trackable over time
o Relevant to decision-making
4. Set targets and review cycles decide:
o What “good” looks like
o How often progress should be reviewed
5. Save objectives and KPIs in the Strategy module this ensures they feed into dashboards and reports.
What you should see
Once saved, KPIs become visible across:
• Strategy dashboards
• Related modules such as Marketing, CRM, Projects, and Finance
Common mistakes
• Tracking too many KPIs
• Using vanity metrics that don’t drive decisions
• Reviewing KPIs inconsistently
Best practice
If a KPI does not influence a decision, it doesn’t belong in your strategy.
Related articles
• How do I track strategy using dashboards and scorecards?
• How does Strategy connect to other modules?