In Q4 of 2024, our company invested significant time crafting our 2025 goals. We followed best practices, engaged our teams, aligned with executive direction, budgeted accordingly and secured approvals.
And yet, momentum is fading.
Early in my career, I’d archive our goals document until Q4, dust it off and wonder why we missed the mark — or worse, why so many were forgotten. Today, I build in checkpoints to keep goals alive and visible. And thanks to those checkpoints, we’re heading into Q2 having met more goals than not. That’s the good news.
But what concerns me are the items still sitting at 0%. These goals aren’t delayed — they’re forgotten. Or deprioritized. And in my experience, goals that slip into Q2 are likely to slide all year. That’s why Q2 isn’t just a checkpoint — it’s a pivot point.
So how do I course-correct? I implement Plan Be.
Be Honest
Start with yourself. Were these goals mis-scoped? What could you have done differently?
Now, talk to your team. Why was the target missed? Sometimes, the scope needs adjusting. Other times, accountability or prioritization is the issue. Occasionally, it wasn’t a good goal and can be eliminated but that usually comes later in the year
ITIL.org once highlighted that resistance to change is a leading cause of ITSM failures. Forrester quantifies it — 52% of ITSM efforts fail because of it. And now, with AI initiatives on everyone’s radar, Business Insider reports that the biggest barrier isn’t the tech — it’s the people.
If a team member purposely ignored a goal, that has to be addressed. Ignoring the resistance doesn’t make it go away — it just delays the fallout. Work with them to determine why they resisted. As manager, do you need to adjust their priorities, work assignments or address their needs? Take away any barriers to success while addressing the requirement to complete the project
Be Accurate
Use data. Share KPIs or reporting to demonstrate why a goal was missed. Give staff a platform to explain roadblocks — and consider those infamous “watermelon metrics”: green on the outside, red on the inside. If your dashboard says “on track” but your team feels otherwise, something’s off.
Be Accountable
Communicate updates clearly. Adjust dates if needed. Reassign tasks. Encourage incremental progress. And most importantly, reconnect people to their “why.”
At the start of Q2, I hold an ITIL-focused Goals Touchpoint. It’s part retrospective, part rally. We celebrate Q1 wins, re-energize stalled initiatives and ignite anything launching in Q2.
The meeting is grounded in ITIL principles:
• Focus on value: Why is this goal important? What’s the tangible benefit?
• Progress iteratively with feedback: Build a cadence of feedback and continuous improvement. I’m currently using Microsoft Loop for transparent, ongoing updates.
• Collaborate and promote visibility: Gamify where appropriate. Inspect what you expect. Staff need to meet their goals. Managers should carefully engage with them to ensure the work product remains on track.
• Think and work holistically: Zoom out. Ask root-cause questions. For example, if your goal was to reduce FCR (First Contact Resolution) by 10%, but you’ve seen no progress, ask: is there a training gap? Does another team need to be involved? What can a manager add or subtract from this project to keep it on track.
• Keep it simple and practical: Small wins create big momentum. Take small, incremental steps in order to reach the end target.
• Optimize and automate: We all hear, “There’s no time to automate!” But we need to flip that thinking. Automating today saves time tomorrow. Ask yourself: are you handing your team the right toolset?
Q2 isn’t just a checkpoint. It’s your pivot point. The recipe for 2025 goal success is straightforward:
- Refocus. Re-engage. Tackle resistance head-on.
- Your goals deserve more than a Q4 postmortem — they deserve year-round traction.
Susan Smith is a Program Manager at GTS Technology and a 2025 HDI Featured Contributor. Connect with Susan here on LinkedIn.