Setting employee goals shouldn’t take three hours of staring at blank templates. It’s goal-setting season. You know what’s coming…
Most employee goals are useless. They’re either too vague to act on or so specific they’re outdated by March. Your employee reads them once in January and never thinks about them again.
The problem isn’t that you don’t care. The problem is translating what you actually need into language that’s clear enough to measure but realistic enough to survive the year.
ChatGPT won’t write perfect goals for you. But it will force you to think clearly about what you want, test whether your goals make sense, and turn vague ideas into specific outcomes your employee can actually work toward.
This guide shows you how to set employee goals that people actually use. You’ll get 5 prompts for different situations and see how to turn “be more proactive” into something measurable.
Looking to set your own leadership goals? Check out our guide for Setting Your 2026 Leadership Goals with AI.
Table of Contents
Why Most Goals Don’t Work
The vague problem:
“Improve communication.” “Be more proactive.” “Develop leadership.” These aren’t goals. Your employee can’t do anything with them because they don’t know what success looks like.
The SMART problem:
SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) sound good in theory. In practice you get “Complete three training modules by March 31st.” That’s measurable but meaningless. Did the training help? Who knows.
The December problem:
The problem with setting employee goals is you do it based on what matters now. By April, priorities shifted. The big project got cancelled. Nobody remembers what the goals were anyway.
Why ChatGPT helps:
It forces you to be specific. You can’t write “improve communication” into ChatGPT and get useful output. You have to articulate what communication problem you’re actually trying to solve.
ChatGPT will ask clarifying questions through its responses. You refine your thinking. You end up with goals that are clear, measurable, and connected to real work.
Use it to draft. Then make it yours. Don’t copy-paste ChatGPT’s corporate language directly to your employee.
What Good Goals Actually Look Like
When setting employee goals, you need to answer three questions: What needs to change? How will we know it worked? Why does it matter?
Bad goal: “Improve project management”
Better goal: “Deliver 90% of projects on original timeline by implementing weekly risk reviews with stakeholders, which reduces delays that have pushed back three launches this year”
See the difference? The better goal has a measurable outcome (90% on time), a specific behavior (weekly risk reviews), and explains why it matters (we’ve had delay problems).
You don’t need fancy frameworks. You just need clarity.
The three pieces:
- The outcome – What improves? (Fewer bugs, faster response time, better retention)
- The action – What changes day to day? (Weekly meetings, new process, different approach)
- The reason – Why does this matter? (Supports team goal, fixes recurring problem, enables growth)
Not every goal needs all three pieces perfectly articulated. But every goal needs to be specific enough that six months from now, you can tell whether they actually did it.
ChatGPT helps you find that specificity when you’re stuck.
5 Prompts for Different Goal Situations
Prompt #1: Turn Vague Into Specific
When to use: You know something needs to improve but can’t articulate it clearly
The Prompt:
I need to set a goal but it's too vague. Here's what I'm thinking:
VAGUE GOAL: [Your vague idea - "improve communication," "be more strategic," etc.]
THEIR ROLE: [Job title and main work]
WHY IT MATTERS: [What problem this solves]
Turn this into a specific goal with:
- A measurable outcome
- Specific actions they can take
- Connection to why it matters
Give me 2 options. 150 words.What you’ll get: Specific alternatives you can choose from and refine.
Example – Turning “be more proactive” into something real:
Input: “I want them to be more proactive. They’re a senior engineer. They wait for direction instead of identifying problems early.”
Output might suggest: “Outcome: Reduce production incidents by 30%. Action: Implement automated monitoring and flag potential issues in weekly team meetings before they become emergencies. Why it matters: Prevents the firefighting that’s consumed 40% of team time this quarter.”
Now you have something specific to discuss with them.
Prompt #2: Development Goals for High Performers
When to use: Someone’s doing their job well, needs growth opportunities
The Prompt:
I need a development goal for a high performer.
CURRENT ROLE: [What they do well now]
GROWTH AREA: [Skill that would help them advance]
NEXT STEP: [Where they want to go - promotion, new role, etc.]
CONSTRAINTS: [Time, budget, workload limits]
Create a goal that:
- Builds a specific skill for advancement
- Fits alongside current work
- Has clear progress markers
Give me 2 options. 150 words.What you’ll get: Growth goals that stretch without overwhelming.
Example – For someone ready for more responsibility:
Input: “They’re a strong individual contributor. Want to develop leadership. Aiming for team lead role. Can’t reduce current workload.”
Output might suggest: “Outcome: Build leadership capability demonstrated by mentees completing projects with minimal senior review. Action: Mentor two junior team members through their next project cycle. Why it matters: Prepares you for team lead consideration in Q2.”
Specific, measurable, tied to their career goal.
Prompt #3: Connect Work to Business Goals
When to use: Need to show how individual work matters to the bigger picture
The Prompt:
Connect individual work to bigger objectives.
COMPANY GOAL: [What the company is trying to achieve]
TEAM GOAL: [What your team needs to deliver]
THEIR WORK: [What this person does]
Create a goal that shows how their work contributes to company success. Make it specific and within their control.
2 options. 150 words.What you’ll get: Clear line from daily work to business impact.
Example – Making the connection visible:
Input: “Company wants 20% revenue growth. Team needs to expand into new markets. They do market research.”
Output might suggest: “Outcome: Complete competitive analysis for EMEA market by March. Action: Research competitors, pricing models, and market entry barriers with actionable recommendations. Why it matters: Enables sales launch in Q2, directly supporting the company’s 20% revenue growth target through new market expansion.”
Now they understand why their research actually matters.
Prompt #4: Stretch Goals That Don’t Break People
When to use: Want to challenge someone without setting them up to fail
The Prompt:
Create a stretch goal that's ambitious but achievable.
CURRENT LEVEL: [What they consistently deliver]
STRETCH: [What you think they could achieve]
SUPPORT: [Resources/training you can provide]
TIMELINE: [Realistic timeframe]
Make it challenging but include support and milestones. 150 words.What you’ll get: Ambitious goals with built-in success paths.
Example – Pushing growth safely:
Input: “Currently manages small projects. Think they could lead a full product launch. Can provide weekly coaching.”
Output might suggest: “Outcome: Successfully lead Q2 product launch on schedule with all stakeholders aligned. Action: Coordinate design, engineering, and marketing teams with monthly milestones – Month 1: project plan approved, Month 2: weekly stakeholder updates running smoothly, Month 3: launch execution. Why it matters: Demonstrates ability to handle complex cross-functional projects, key requirement for senior role. Support included: weekly check-ins with you, shadow Q1 launch lead for first month.”
Stretches them but doesn’t abandon them.
Prompt #5: Performance Improvement (When Things Aren’t Working)
When to use: Need clear improvement goals with accountability
The Prompt:
Create performance improvement goals.
PERFORMANCE GAP: [What's not meeting standards]
IMPACT: [How this affects the team/business]
STANDARD: [What "meets expectations" looks like]
TIMELINE: [30/60/90 days to improve]
Make expectations crystal clear with specific checkpoints. 200 words.What you’ll get: Unambiguous improvement expectations with measurable checkpoints.
Example – When deadlines keep slipping:
Input: “Missing deadlines regularly. Last 5 of 6 projects late by 3+ days. Need improvement in 60 days.”
Output might suggest: “Outcome: Deliver 100% of assigned work on original deadline for next 60 days. Action: Week 1-2 – All tasks on time, no exceptions. Week 3-4 – Continue on-time delivery plus proactive 48-hour warning if any task at risk. Week 5-8 – Maintain delivery plus demonstrate better planning by providing realistic timelines during kickoffs. Why it matters: Missed deadlines have delayed three client projects and created extra work for team members covering gaps. Zero late deliveries for 60 days required, or further action necessary.”
Extremely clear. They know exactly what’s expected.
Before and After Example
Before (What most managers write): “Improve leadership skills and communication. Complete two training courses. Be more proactive in meetings.”
After (Using these prompts): “Lead Q1 sprint planning for your team of 5, including weekly standups and biweekly stakeholder updates. Success measured by: Q1 roadmap delivered on time, no escalations to senior leadership, positive peer feedback on leadership effectiveness. Complete AWS certification by March to support team’s cloud migration goal. This demonstrates readiness for Team Lead role consideration in Q2.”
Why it’s better:
- Specific actions (lead planning, facilitate standups, present updates)
- Measurable outcomes (on-time delivery, no escalations, certification complete)
- Connected to career growth (Team Lead consideration)
- Can actually tell if they did it or not
The first version sounds nice but means nothing. The second version gives them a roadmap. Edit the output to match your voice and you’re done.
What NOT to Do
Don’t copy-paste ChatGPT output directly. Use it as a draft. Make it sound like you.
Don’t set goals without employee input. Draft with ChatGPT, then discuss with them. They might have better ideas.
Don’t make 10 goals. Three to five maximum. If everything’s a priority, nothing is.
Don’t set goals and forget them. Check in monthly. Ten minutes in your regular 1-on-1. Are they making progress? Do goals need adjustment?
Don’t be rigid. Business changes. A goal that makes sense in January might be irrelevant by April. Adjust quarterly if needed.
Key Takeaways
Setting employee goals that actually work means making them specific, measurable, and connected to real work.
ChatGPT helps you:
- Turn vague ideas into specific outcomes
- Create development goals that build careers
- Connect individual work to business impact
- Design stretch goals with support built in
- Set clear improvement expectations
The process: Draft with ChatGPT (30 minutes for your whole team). Discuss with each employee (30 minutes per person). Finalize together. Check in monthly. Adjust quarterly.
What changes: Less time staring at templates. Better goals people actually work toward. Easier performance reviews because you’re measuring against specific outcomes. Your team is happier because they actually know what good looks like and how to get there.
Use ChatGPT to think clearly. Use your judgment to make it real.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start goal-setting conversations with my team?
Mid-December to early January works best. After the holiday rush but before Q1 gets hectic.
How many goals should each employee have?
Three to five meaningful goals. More than that and nothing gets real focus.
Should I share these prompts with my employees?
You could – or use them to prep before the conversation. Either approach works.
Related Articles
- Employee Disagrees With Their Review? Here’s What to Do – Handle disagreements when goals aren’t met
- 5 ChatGPT Prompts for Performance Reviews – Write better reviews based on these goals
- How to Use ChatGPT to Write Performance Reviews – Complete guide for review season
- Best AI Tools for Managers – Full toolkit beyond ChatGPT