This article focuses on how to:
- Build effective, meaningful targets
- Link projects, demands, and epics directly to those targets in ServiceNow
The goal is to drive real alignment between strategy and execution, and to make progress visible and actionable.
Building Great Targets: Your Steps to Success
Think of a target as a specific checkpoint that shows whether you're making progress toward a broader goal. For example, if your goal is “Reduce operational costs by 15%,” a related target might be “Save $1.2 million by the end of September.”
Here’s how to make sure your targets are set up for success:
Make Them SMART
Just like goals, targets should follow the SMART framework:
- Specific: Don't just say "make things better." Say exactly what you want to achieve, like "get our customer happiness score to 85%." Everyone should know what needs to be done.
- Measurable: You need to be able to track your progress. For example, instead of saying "handle more calls," say "answer 95% of calls within 24 hours." If you can't measure it, you can't tell if you're getting better.
- Achievable: Your targets should push your team, but still be realistic. If a target seems impossible, people will likely lose motivation. Make sure it's challenging yet within reach.
- Relevant: Your targets need to support your main objectives directly. If you're aiming to keep more customers, a target would be tracking how many service renewals you get, not just how many social media posts you make.
- Time-bound: Always put a deadline on your targets. Instead of saying "fix computer problems," set a clear target like "reduce average monthly computer downtime to under 30 minutes by June 30th." A deadline creates a sense of urgency and helps you measure progress.
Assign Ownership
Each target needs a clear owner. This person is responsible for tracking, updating, and driving progress. Often it’s the goal owner, but it could also be the project manager. If no one owns it, it won’t move.
Tie Targets Directly to Goals
Targets need a purpose. They should all help you achieve a larger goal. This way, your plans connect directly to your work, and your dashboards will make sense
Establish a Baseline
If you're trying to improve something, know your starting point. For example, you can’t measure a $1.2M savings unless you know what you currently spend. Baselines will give you context and help you track improvement.
Set Review Cadence
Decide how often you’ll check progress. Weekly? Monthly? Quarterly? Regular updates keep the target active, visible, and adjustable if needed, instead of something people check at year-end.
Things to Watch Out For
Even well thought out targets can go wrong. Here are common pitfalls to avoid:
- Vague targets: “Improve efficiency” is meaningless. “Cut average process time by 20%” gives you clarity and direction.
- No clear owner: If no one’s accountable, progress won’t happen. Targets don’t move themselves.
- Too many targets: If everything is a priority, nothing is. Focus on 2–3 critical targets per goal. Anything more risks diverting attention and effort.
- Not actionable: Avoid targets that are just tasks or ideas. “Launch 3 initiatives” is activity-focused. “Increase automation rate from 45% to 70%” is outcome-focused.
When targets aren't well thought out, they can lead to people feeling exhausted, report things incorrectly, or wasting time and effort. But when they're designed well, targets help keep focus and build motivation
Connect Your Work to Targets in ServiceNow
Good targets mean nothing if the work that supports them isn’t linked. While you can link work to broad goals, connecting directly to targets gives you more precision. It lets you track specific outcomes, not just general direction.
Why Link to Targets?
- Clear contribution: Teams know exactly how their work drives a metric.
- Progress visibility: As work moves forward, target progress updates in real time.
- No manual reporting: Project completion %, actual cost, or benefits can all roll up automatically to the target level.
It’s the difference between guessing if something’s helping and knowing it is.
How to Link Work Items to Targets in ServiceNow
Here's how to connect work to a target in the strategic planning workspace
- Go to the Goals tab.
- Open the target you want to connect work to.
- Select the Planning Items tab.
- Click Add.
Each form (Demand, Project, Program, etc.) includes a Goals/Targets Relationship related list, allowing you to connect targets and goals directly to your work items.
Key Reminders
- Link early, ideally when a demand or project is created. Don’t wait until a project is halfway done to decide where it fits.
- Many-to-many is OK: A single project can support multiple targets.
- Enable roll-up: Once linked, actuals like progress %, cost, or benefit can be configured to update the target status automatically.
Wrapping It Up
SMART targets bring structure. Linking them to your actual work in ServiceNow brings strategy to life.
When targets are clear, owned, and connected to execution, teams understand their role. Leaders get insight. Everyone moves in the same direction, toward measurable success.
Take a look at your current goals. Are they supported by clear, measurable targets? Is your work directly connected to them? If not, this is your starting point.
