How to Write IMPACTFUL Strategic Objectives

Your organization’s “strategic objectives” (sometimes referred to as “goals”) are statements of what you’re trying to achieve. They make up the key components of your strategy at the highest level, and are vital in the strategic planning process. You can think of them as “stepping stones” between your organizational strategy and your measures (which are used to track the progress of each strategic objective).

The process can be complex, but with ClearPoint Strategy, you can design, manage, and execute your strategic objectives more effectively and with clarity.

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Let us show you how to create and write out your strategic objectives—and give some examples along the way. (Note that many of the examples below are from a nonprofit angle. There is so much written from a for-profit orientation, so we thought this would be helpful to a broader audience.)

If you're looking for ways to think about creating your operational goals, check out our article on How To Set Operational Goals.

How to Create Impactful Business Strategic Objectives

1. Choose objectives based on your strategy, not your industry

Just because you are in the same industry doesn’t mean you have the same strategy. So, you may not have the same objectives as others in your industry. For example, financial institutions like Ally or E*Trade focus on leveraging customer-focused technology, so their objectives are likely focused on having user-friendly software and developing tools that will help their customers. Financial institutions like Goldman Sachs or Merrill Lynch focus on leveraging personal relationships, so their objectives are likely focused on providing excellent customer service or developing personal relationships.

Thus, you should base your strategic objectives on your strategy—not another organization’s strategy.

ClearPoint Strategy aids in aligning these priorities with your long-term goals, ensuring coherence and focus.

2. Consider all four “perspectives” when creating strategic objectives

The Balanced Scorecard has four perspectives—financial, customer, internal processes, and people (learning and growth). If you have 10-15 strategic objectives, they shouldn’t all fall into just one of those perspectives. Instead, they should be (at least somewhat) evenly distributed among the four.

See Also: The 4 Balanced Scorecard Perspectives: An Overview For Managers

3. Follow the “Verb + Adjective + Noun” format

The typical format of a strategic objective is “Verb + Adjective + Noun.” If you use this formula, your strategic objectives will create an action statement.

Note that your strategic objectives should describe your strategy—not just a typical strategy. For example, a nonprofit may consider their approach to fundraising and come up with the following objectives:

4. Create “strategic objective statements” that clarify intent

Sometimes a three- to five-word strategic objective isn’t enough information for those who are not in the room when the objective is decided or someone who isn’t on the leadership team. So, you need to write objective statements—no more than 2-3 sentences each—that clarify the objective’s intent and meaning.
For example, if the objective is “Increase event-driven fundraising,” the objective statement might be:

“We will develop a world-class website that makes it easy for donors to interact with us. We will do this by partnering with an outside web development firm.”

The objective statement should describe what the objective means and how it will be accomplished.

5. Follow these guidelines for developing strategic objectives

• You should have no more than 15 objectives in your strategy.
• Objectives should link together as a group in a logical way. In other words, you shouldn’t have one objective that states “Develop interpersonal relationships,” and another that states, “Migrate everyone to an online support system.” Those objectives would drive different behaviors. So you want to be sure that all of your objectives work together in a way that reflects your strategy.

• Every objective must have at least a verb and a noun:
• Good: Improve fundraising.
• Bad: Fundraising.

• Make sure you aren’t including “projects” as objectives.
• Good: Improve communication with donors.
• Bad: Implement CRM.
• Note that customer perspective objectives can be in the “voice of the customer.”
• Example: “Help me find appropriate housing options.”
• Objectives should link together as a group in a logical way. In other words, you shouldn’t have one objective that states “Develop interpersonal relationships,” and another that states, “Migrate everyone to an online support system.” Those objectives would drive different behaviors. So you want to be sure that all of your objectives work together in a way that reflects your strategy.

• Every objective must have at least a verb and a noun:
• Good: Improve fundraising.
• Bad: Fundraising.

• Make sure you aren’t including “projects” as objectives.
• Good: Improve communication with donors.
• Bad: Implement CRM.
• Note that customer perspective objectives can be in the “voice of the customer.”
• Example: “Help me find appropriate housing options.”

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Examples Of Common Strategic Objectives

Financial

• Diversify donor mix.
• Drive financial stability.
• Improve resource management.
• Demonstrate market returns on endowment.

Customer/Constituent

• “We want affordable healthcare.”
• “We want reliable sources of food.”
• “We want dependable services.”
• Maximize community impact.

Internal Process

• Improve program development process.
• Rationalize programs.
• Develop fundraising options.
• Drive policy changes.
• Improve headquarter productivity.

Learning & Growth

• Improve volunteer leadership capabilities.
• Modernize technology infrastructure.
• Enhance board involvement.
• Drive a performance-focused culture.
• Attract top talent.

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Case Example: Teach For America

About 10 years ago, Teach For America created a Balanced Scorecard—and this case example represents their objectives and strategy at the time. (Note that some of the objectives have been simplified.)

Case Example: Food For The Hungry

This Food for the Hungry case example is pulled from a book author Paul Niven wrote in 2008, “Balanced Scorecard: Step-by-Step for Government and Nonprofit Agencies.”

How to Get Started

The best way to get started with writing out your strategic objectives is to ask yourself these key questions.

• Financial: What is your key financial goal?
• Customers: What should your customers say about your organization?
• Internal: What processes are most critical to your success?
• Learning & Growth: What can you focus on to make your employees more effective?

Remember:

• Use the Verb + Adjective + Noun structure.
• Write two- to three-sentence objective statements for each objective.

Creating strategic objectives is a great way to prepare those in your organization for being able to talk about your strategy consistently and coherently. Ultimately, you’ll also need to create and write out measures and projects in order to manage your strategy.

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FAQ:

How do you create a strategic objective?

To create a strategic objective:

- Understand the Vision and Mission: Align the objective with the organization’s overarching vision and mission.
- Conduct a SWOT Analysis: Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to inform your objective.
- Use the SMART Criteria: Ensure the objective is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
- Involve Stakeholders: Engage key stakeholders to gather input and ensure buy-in.
- Draft Clear Statements: Write concise and clear statements that specify what is to be achieved and by when.
- Review and Refine: Regularly review and refine the objective to ensure it remains aligned with strategic priorities.

How do you set strategic objectives?

To set strategic objectives:

- Define Clear Goals: Establish broad, long-term goals that align with your organization’s vision and mission.
- Break Down Goals: Divide these broad goals into specific, actionable objectives.
- Ensure Alignment: Make sure each objective supports the overall strategy and aligns with other organizational goals.
- Use the SMART Criteria: Develop objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
- Communicate Objectives: Clearly communicate the objectives to all stakeholders to ensure understanding and alignment.
- Monitor and Adjust: Continuously monitor progress towards objectives and make adjustments as needed.

How do you define strategic objectives?

Strategic objectives are defined as specific, measurable goals that an organization sets to achieve its long-term vision and mission. They guide the direction of the organization and provide a clear roadmap for achieving desired outcomes. Strategic objectives are designed to be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

What are strategic marketing objectives?

Strategic marketing objectives are goals set to guide a company’s marketing efforts and align them with the overall business strategy. Examples include:

- Increase Market Share: Achieve a 15% market share in the next two years by expanding into new regions.
- Boost Brand Awareness: Increase brand recognition by 30% within the next year through targeted advertising campaigns.
- Enhance Customer Engagement: Improve customer engagement by increasing social media interactions by 25% in the next six months.
- Drive Sales Growth: Increase sales revenue by 20% over the next year through new product launches and promotions.
- Improve Customer Retention: Increase customer retention rates by 10% within the next year by implementing loyalty programs.

What are HR strategic objectives?

HR strategic objectives are goals set to align human resources practices with the organization’s overall strategy. Examples include:

- Talent Acquisition: Attract and hire top talent to fill key positions within six months.
- Employee Development: Implement training programs to improve employee skills and increase internal promotion rates by 15% over the next year.
- Enhance Employee Engagement: Increase employee engagement scores by 20% through improved communication and recognition programs.
- Improve Retention: Reduce employee turnover by 10% within the next year by enhancing job satisfaction and career development opportunities.
- Diversity and Inclusion: Increase workforce diversity by 25% over the next two years through targeted recruitment and inclusive workplace practices.