Why annual goals are so cringe and what you can do about it

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February 21, 2025

It's the end of February, and HR has undoubtedly already reminded you at least once that it's time to set goals for the year. For most people, this is a very cringe moment. I hate it. You hate it. Pretty much everyone else hates it.

Let's be frank about this. The reason why corporate goal setting is often so cringe is because we often have to pretend to care about things that do nothing to serve our own needs. There is only so much a person is willing to do for others without any benefit to themselves. Your capacity for giving may be high, but it is not unlimited. I don't know about you, but I am exhausted from having to lie or really stretch the truth and say I am willing to do certain things at work when I don't believe in them at all.

The reason why corporate goal setting is often so cringe is because we often have to pretend to care about things that do nothing to serve our own needs. There is only so much a person is willing to do for others without any benefit to themselves. Your capacity for giving may be high, but it is not unlimited.

So how can you approach this task while maintaining personal integrity and satisfying your own need for career growth?

1. Set your own goals first

I like to frequently remind professionals that they are complete and whole. Your employer is a temporary partner on your career journey. You walk the same path together for as long as it suits both of you, nothing more. I recommend that you forget about your employer and their needs for a day and consider yourself. Start by listing out your own personal and professional goals, honest and true. You can do this by yourself or with a friend, mentor or a professional Career Coach. Remember these goals as they represent what YOU need from the upcoming year.

2. Find your company's goals

All companies set business goals for the year. Upper management then communicates these to various directors; who then, in turn, interpret the goals and re-phrase them to sound more relatable to employees in each department. Find your department's goals and keep them handy. Reach out to your manager if you are not able to locate these goals yourself.

3. Look for an overlap

So now, on the left, you have your own goals. And, on the right, you have your department's goals. Try to find an overlap between the two sets. Use your imagination. If you can find at least one promising area of overlap, we are in business!

Ideally, your goals and the company's goals will overlap

4. Finally ready to do THE THING (still cringe but a bit easier)

I cannot promise you that the next part will finally be completely cringe-free, but I can promise you that it will now be a bit easier to come up with the goals you can get behind.

Your next task is to brainstorm what you can do within your sphere of influence at work that not only helps your team, your department, and your company, but also helps your get closer to YOUR own goals. You can do this by yourself or with a colleague, manager, mentor or a professional Career Coach.

There may be little to no overlap between your and the company's goals

There is no overlap

If you are finding that there is pretty much zero overlap, consider the following three options:

Option A - Do it anyways

You can say: "OK, let me set the goals anyways. They are going to make sense in the context of my work. They are not for me and never have been. Plus, I don't want to appear difficult or disappoint my manager."

What this tells me is that you are still getting something out of your job. You care about the success of your projects and the relationships you have built within the company. Absolutely go ahead and set project-level goals. They essentially represent the work you were going to do anyway. But remember to make a mental note that you need to start looking at your options within and outside of your current company. Make it your own professional goal for the year. You can spend the year networking, working on side projects and/or working with a Career Coach to prepare yourself for getting out there.

Option B - Ask for help

You are really stumped, but are willing to ask your manager for help. You can say: "I don't see how I can set my goals for the year. I want to be honest with myself and the company. I can't pretend that there is no problem."

There is always a chance, however limited, that a management action can be taken to improve your work experience. Do not close this door before you even open it.

From my experience, Option B is likely to lead you back to Option A. Your manager will make you feel less alone and support you by helping you write the goals, but may not be able to move you to a different project or offer you a promotion and/or raise. However, you should not skip this step even if you are ready to walk. There is always a chance, however limited, that a management action can be taken to improve your work experience. Do not close this door before you even open it. The remainder of the advice is the same as for Option A - start exploring what's out there.

Option C - Adios, amigos!

Skip the goals and quit.

Take the struggle to set mutually beneficial goals as a sign that there is no alignment. You have been really trying to stretch your imagination and see how you can be of use to this company, but it simply is not a good fit. Use this as a clear sign to move on. And, if you are in a reasonably decent financial position, you can use a bit of time to rest, recharge and regroup before making your next career move. You know you deserve it.

Twice in my life, I have been at a point where being pressured to set annual goals reminded me that I have no goals in common with my project, department or company as a whole. Both times, I quit. The paths that ran parallel for some time diverged, but so be it. I found new amazing opportunities in the weeks and months that followed.

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MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR...

Lana Melnichuk is a Career Agility Coach for mid-career Business and Technology Professionals. She works with individuals who want to take a more active role in managing their careers. She founded Two Steps Forward Consulting Co. in March of 2020.