Ambitious vs. Realistic Goals — How to Set the Stretch
The right amount of stretch lands at 0.6-0.7 quarter-end. Less, you're sandbagging. More, you're losing trust.
Set goals you can land at 0.7 if you do your best. Not 1.0. Not 0.5.
- 0.9-1.0 every quarter → you're sandbagging. Push 25% harder next time.
- 0.6-0.7 → ambitious + achievable. The sweet spot.
- < 0.5 → you didn't plan, you wished. Re-scope mid-quarter.
A 0.7 on a hard goal is more valuable than a 1.0 on an easy one.
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