Beyond Financials: Measure Goals That Drive Your Business
Most business owners obsess over financial goals, and rightly so: revenue targets, margin improvements, cost reductions. All fine and good. But if that’s all you’re measuring, you’re only watching half the game. The companies that really win don’t just track dollars. They set inspirational goals too: the kind that define how people behave, what the workplace feels like, and whether processes are consistent and repeatable.
These “softer” goals are harder to put in a spreadsheet, but they’re the glue that holds everything together. Culture, process, and behaviour show up as leading indicators. Get them right, and it will make the financials a lot easier to hit.
So why do so many leaders avoid setting soft goals? Simple:
They don’t know how.
They think it’s impossible to measure.
They’re afraid they’ll look fluffy or “not serious” to investors or their team.
Or worst of all, they assume soft goals don’t matter.
All of that is wrong. You can measure softer goals. And you have to because your more successful competitors are likely doing it to some degree. Here are three easy ways to do it that even the most analytical CEO can implement.
1. What Will Your Celebration Look Like?
Picture this: you’ve hit your target. One month later you’re throwing a celebration. What exactly are you toasting? Look beyond just revenue growth. Consider celebrating a team that finally works like a team, or a culture where people speak up with ideas instead of keeping their heads down (we had a client recently that changed their culture to do this exact thing!).
The celebration ‘test’ forces you to define the real outcomes you care about, hard or soft, and make them specific, visible, experiential.
2. Crafting Your Investor Presentation Draft
Now imagine presenting your results to investors or your Board. What’s on your slides? Financial wins, of course. But don’t stop there, because study after study shows that these are not inspiring. If you’ve built a culture of ownership, standardized processes, or improved cross-team collaboration, highlight that too. Actually, plan to make this your centrepiece and boast about it.
Smart investors know those things drive future profits, and by putting soft goals in the spotlight, you prove you’re serious about building a solid business that lasts. Put the financial results in the appendix.
3. The Perspective of a Returning Employee
Here’s another good litmus test. A key employee has been away for six months. They come back and walk into the office. What feels different? Are meetings sharper and shorter? Are there new processes, and do people actually follow the new “way of doing things around here”? Is the vibe more energized and focused?
If your returning employee can see and feel the change, and can articulate it to you enthusiastically you know you’ve hit your goals.
Bottom Line
Financial metrics don’t tell the whole story; we all know that somewhere deep down at least. Culture, behaviour, and process are measurable if you choose to measure them. And they’re usually the difference between a company that plods along and one that scales and thrives.
Set inspirational goals. Get yourself excited. Track these goals with the same discipline you use for revenue and other financial objectives.
Very important: celebrate the wins, report them with pride, and make sure anyone walking through your doors can see, feel and experience the difference. That’s what real success looks like.