Specific
Be specific about what you want or don’t want to achieve. The result should be tangible and measurable. “Get all employees up to speed,” is pretty ambiguous. “Data team will be able to enter 100 records per day by the end of the first week of onboarding,” is more specific.
Prizes
Provide rewards at different points in the goal, particularly if it’s long-term. Employees who do better than average at training, for example, might receive a company T-shirt.
Individual
The goal must be something that is relevant to the employee’s job and something that the employee is willing to work on. Always tie the goal back to a business or personal result.
Review
Review progress periodically. Does the goal make sense? Are you stuck? Do you need to adjust certain parts of the goal?
Inspiring
Frame the goal positively. Make it fun to accomplish. Your team could make a poster of the end result, frame it, and post it on the wall.
Time-Bound
Give yourself a deadline for achieving the goal. Even better, split the goal into small parts and give yourself a deadline for each item.