Setting and Tracking Goals – Prosper

Goals is a tool for Managers and Administrators to set, monitor, and complete goals and actions in consultation with their team members during 1-to-1s. With due dates, status tracking, and a shared comment thread, Goals keeps development and performance conversations focused and accountable.

Who this is for: Managers and Administrators

Read time: 4 minutes

How Goals work

Goals are set against an individual team member and tracked over time. Each goal has a title, a due date, a status tracker, and a comment thread that both the Manager and employee can contribute to — making it a living record of progress rather than a static list. Completed goals are retained with their key dates, so you build a history of what's been achieved.

Prerequisites

You must be a Manager or Administrator.
The Performance module must be enabled for your organisation.
The member must be one you manage or have access to.

How to set and track a goal

Step 1 — Open a member from the Performance Dashboard

Navigate to the Performance Dashboard and select a member.

Step 2 — Start a new goal

Select Goals, then + New Goal.

Step 3 — Populate and save the goal

Populate the goal Title, set a Due Date, enable the Status tracker, add any Comments, and select Save.

To add another goal, repeat Step 3.

Tip: Strong goals are specific and measurable, with a realistic due date. "Complete pool plant operator certification by 30 June" is far more trackable than "improve technical skills". Use the status tracker to keep momentum visible between 1-to-1s.

Step 4 — Review completed goals

To review a history of completed goals with their key dates, scroll down to Completed Goals.

[Screenshot: Completed Goals section showing past goals with completion dates]

Step 5 — Mark a goal complete

When a goal is complete, select Completed status.

Tracking progress with comments

Please note: Both the Manager and the employee can track progress in Comments.

The comment thread is where the goal comes to life. Use it to:

Capture progress updates between 1-to-1s.
Note blockers or support needed.
Record agreed next steps so nothing is lost between conversations.

Tips and best practices

Set goals together. Goals land best when they're agreed in consultation with the employee during a 1-to-1, not assigned unilaterally. Shared ownership drives follow-through.
Keep the number manageable. A few meaningful goals beat a long list. Two to four active goals is usually enough to keep focus without overwhelming.
Update status live. The status tracker is most useful when it's current — update it during your 1-to-1s so progress is always accurate at a glance.
Use comments as prep. Reviewing the comment thread before each 1-to-1 takes seconds and makes the conversation more focused and productive.
Celebrate completion. Marking a goal complete and acknowledging it in your 1-to-1 reinforces progress and motivates the next goal.
Connect goals to development. Goals pair naturally with Development Plans and performance reviews — use them together to link day-to-day actions with longer-term growth.

Troubleshooting

I can't select a particular member.
You can set goals for members you manage or have access to. If a member is missing, confirm the reporting structure in their profile or ask your Administrator about your access.

A goal I marked complete has disappeared.
Completed goals move to the Completed Goals section — scroll down to find them with their key dates. They're retained, not deleted.

The employee can't see or comment on a goal.
Both Manager and employee can comment. If the employee can't access the goal, confirm it's been saved and that the member is correctly linked to you in the reporting structure.

My comment doesn't seem to have saved.
If it didn't save, check your connection and re-enter the comment.

Can a member have multiple goals at once?
Yes — add as many goals as needed by repeating the new goal steps. Keep the active list focused so it stays manageable.

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