Add goal description

A good goal description provides context and clarity for your team. It explains why the goal matters, what success looks like, and any important constraints or considerations.

Note: Not having a description is absolutely fine in many cases, especially for short-term goals with limited scope where the targets tell the whole story.

Adding a goal description#

1. Open the goal page and go to the Overview tab
2. In the Goal Description section, click the Write button
3. Use the rich text editor to write your description
4. Click Save to add the description to your goal

What to include in your description#

A good goal description provides context and background information:

Context — Why this goal matters to your business or team. What problem does it solve?

Background — The situation that led to this goal. What changed that made this necessary?

Decision making — Why this approach was chosen over alternatives. What assumptions underlie the goal?

Stakeholders — Who is affected by this goal? Who needs to be involved or informed?

Constraints — Any limitations, deadlines, or requirements that affect how you approach the goal.

Using the rich text editor#

The goal description editor provides formatting options to help you organize your content. For detailed information about using the rich text editor, see Format text and embed images.

Tips for writing effective descriptions#

Focus on context — The description should provide background and reasoning, not duplicate what targets already measure.

Think long-term — Write for your future self who might revisit this goal months later and need to remember the original context.

Document decisions — Include the reasoning behind key decisions and assumptions that shaped the goal.

Keep it concise — While you want to be comprehensive, avoid unnecessary detail. Focus on what matters most.

Update when needed — As circumstances change, update the description to reflect new context or understanding.

A well-written goal description provides the context and background that helps teams understand why the work matters and how decisions were made.