3. Performance Management
Goal cascade
Without the spreadsheet theatre
Where a collective agreement applies, it governs. Check the agreement before applying any of this.
Use when
Connecting enterprise strategy to individual goals people can recite
Enterprise scorecard
3-5 strategic outcomes with numbers
Function goals
Each function names its contribution, tested against the scorecard
Team goals
Few, verb-led, measurable each quarter
Individual
2-4 goals a person can say from memory; revisited in check-ins
Base ↑ read upward
“The test of a cascade is recitation, not documentation.”
How to use it
The test of a cascade is recitation: if a frontline employee cannot say their goals and why they matter without opening a system, the cascade failed. OKR mechanics (objective + 2-3 measurable key results, reviewed quarterly, ambitious not sandbagged) are useful discipline; the branded ceremony is optional. Watch-out: cascades that become 40-row spreadsheets are compliance, not clarity.
Card details
- Model type
- Ladder
- Origin status
- Synthesis
- Content last reviewed
- 28 July 2026
Origin
SynthesisGoal alignment and OKR practice (Andy Grove, John Doerr); the recitation test and anti-spreadsheet discipline added here.