Manager goal setting checklist

Audience: Managers, supervisors and people leaders  

As a manager, you play a critical role in making goal-setting meaningful and aligned. While employees own their growth, you are accountable for ensuring goals are set, aligned and revisited throughout the year. This checklist follows the same flow as the Goal Setting Guide and can be used before, during and after goal-setting conversations.  

Before meeting with your team, take the time to establish context and clarity. 

• Review institutional priorities 

• Review departmental and team plans 

• Identify key outcomes or priorities your team should focus on this year 

• Draft or update any team or department goals that may be cascaded 

• Consider team skill gaps or development needs 

• Gather any materials or information that will support conversations  

 April – June annually 

Schedule a goal-setting conversation with each employee. Create space for collaborative, two-way conversations.  

• Reinforce the idea of shared responsibility: 

  • Employees bring ideas and own their growth 

  • Managers confirm focus and alignment 

• Explain how goals align across levels  

  • Institution → Department → Team → Individual 

• Support employees in identifying 3–5 goals across Job Related goals, Skill Development goals, and Growth Initiative goals.  

• Help employees clarify goals so that they are clear, focused, and actionable 

• Identify any goals that should be cascaded or shared 

TIP: Goals do not need to be perfect. Clarity improves through discussion.  

 Once goals are drafted, guide employees through finalizing them in Workday. 

• Confirm goals are entered using the correct goal type (Job Related, Skill Development, and Growth Initiative.)  

• Review goals for: 

  • Alignment to team, department, and institutional priorities 

  • Reasonable scope and feasibility 

• Provide feedback or request revisions if needed 

• Confirm all employees have a balanced set of goals