What Is the Difference Between Goals and Objectives?

What are goals?

A goal is a short statement of a desired outcome to be accomplished over a long time frame, usually three to five years. It is a broad statement that focuses on the desired results and does not describe the methods used to get the intended outcome.

Some common examples of business goals include the following:

• Maximizing profits
• Growing revenues
• Increasing efficiency
• Providing excellent customer service
• Becoming an industry leader
• Creating a brand
• Becoming carbon-neutral

What are objectives?

Objectives are specific, actionable targets that need to be achieved within a smaller time frame, such as a year or less, to reach a certain goal. Objectives describe the actions or activities involved in achieving a goal. For example, to achieve the goal of increasing revenues, a company can have an objective like “Add three new products by the end of October this year.”

Following are some examples of objectives:

• Earn a minimum of 15% return on investment in a fiscal year
• Increase the company’s market share to 7% by the end of next fiscal year
• Cut down the operating costs by 10% within two years
• Reduce the response time for sales inquiries to 12 hours by the end of this quarter

What is the difference between goals and objectives?

Goals are the outcomes you intend to achieve, whereas objectives are the specific actions and measurable steps that you need to take to achieve a goal. Goals and objectives work in tandem to achieve success. If you create goals without clear objectives, you run the risk of not accomplishing your goals.

The following are some major differences between goals and objectives:

• Alignment and order: Goals are set to achieve the mission of an organization or individual, while objectives are set for the accomplishment of goals. Goals are thus higher in order than objectives.
• Scope: Goals are broad intentions and are often incapable of being measured in quantifiable units. Objectives are narrower than goals and are described in terms of specific tasks.
• Specificity: Goals are general statements of what is to be achieved. They do not specify the tasks that need to be performed to accomplish them. Objectives, on the other hand, are specific actions one takes within a certain timeframe.
• Tangibility: Goals can be intangible and non-measurable, but objectives are defined in terms of tangible targets. For example, the goal to “provide excellent customer service” is intangible, but the objective to “reduce customer wait time to one minute” is tangible and helps in achieving the main goal.
• Timeframe: Goals are set to be achieved over a long period, while objectives are meant for a shorter time frame. A goal is usually divided into several objectives spread over multiple time frames.
• Language: The language used in describing goals is more focused on conceptual thinking, whereas that used in objectives is more on the creative side.