Powerful Performance Goals for Your Next Big Moves

How to set yourself up for success by writing the right performance goals this year

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Negotiating for a raise or promotion is one of the important career skills to have, yet many women avoid it out of fear of rejection, awkwardness, or not knowing how to approach the conversation. Here’s the thing — companies don’t just hand out raises; you have to advocate for yourself in order to even be considered for one. If you’ve been consistently delivering results and taking on more responsibility, you deserve to be compensated.

One of the best ways to set yourself up for success is to draft performance goals this year that showcase your skillset, breadth of knowledge, leadership ability, and responsibility. We are at that time of the year where corporate employees are tasked with writing their yearly performance goals and reviewing them with their managers. This is a great opportunity to advocate for your growth and career trajectory.

❌ By end of the year, instead of this:

I’ve been working really hard this year, so I would like to discuss a raise

✅ Using the results from your performance goals, you can say this:

This past year, I led a project that reduced operational costs by 15%, implemented new strategies that improved user engagement by 30%, and took on leadership responsibilities such as advising executives on future roadmaps. Given my contributions and my desire for more responsibility, I want to discuss a promotion plan for me.

Tips for Writing Yearly Goals

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🎯 Align with Company/Team Objectives

• Ensure your goals are aligned with your company's broader mission and goals. If you’re not sure what that is, find out!

• Ask yourself: How can I contribute to the company's long-term success?

✨ Showcase Leadership Potential

• Even if you're not in a formal leadership role, show you’re ready for more responsibility by volunteering to take on more tasks or lead new initiatives

• Ask yourself: What are company leaders doing that I am not doing in my current role? What are things I can take on to demonstrate my leadership abilities?

🧪 Be Specific and Measurable

• Your goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound). Using quantitive data to showcase your impact is critical.

• Ask yourself: What are some ways I can demonstrate my value through tangible results?