DREIESKIVA​|Roald Kvam

Even the most well-crafted strategic plan will stall without clear alignment throughout the organization. Cascading goals and KPIs ensure that high-level objectives are translated into actionable, measurable priorities at every level—bridging the gap between vision and execution.

Cascading is the structured process of aligning strategic goals with operational activities. It involves:

• Breaking down enterprise-level objectives into departmental, team, and individual goals
• Assigning Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track progress
• Creating a clear line of sight between everyday work and the big picture

Benefits of cascading goals and KPIs:

• Clarity: Everyone knows what success looks like and how they contribute to it
• Alignment: Prevents siloed efforts and ensures teams pull in the same direction
• Motivation: Boosts engagement when individuals see their impact on strategic outcomes
• Accountability: Establishes ownership and measurable benchmarks
• Agility: Enables teams to track progress and adjust course when needed

Key principles:

1. Start with strategic bbjectives:
   Define 3–5 top-level goals that reflect your organization’s purpose and priorities.
2. Break down by function:
   Translate these into goals for business units or departments—what’s their unique contribution?
3. Set S.M.A.R.T. KPIs:
   Each goal should be matched with clear KPIs that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
4. Align individual goals:
   Help each team member identify personal goals that connect to the broader mission. This promotes ownership and focus.
5. Review and refresh regularly:
   Establish quarterly or monthly check-ins to assess progress, celebrate wins, and course-correct.

Example:

Strategic goal	Department goal	Individual KPI
Improve customer experience	Reduce average response time by 20%	Resolve support tickets within 4 hrs avg
Expand market presence	Launch 3 regional campaigns	Generate 100 qualified leads/month
Strengthen innovation culture	Host 6 innovation labs per year	Submit 2 ideas per quarter

Success Factors:

• Use a shared platform (e.g., OKR tools, FAVRO dashboard)
• Make KPIs visible and regularly updated
• Communicate the “why” behind each goal
• Ensure leadership models alignment in their own objectives
• Create feedback loops to adapt based on results

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Cascading goals and KPIs bring strategic clarity to every desk and decision. When done well, they connect purpose to performance—creating a culture where strategy is not just a document, but a daily practice.