Not achieving your annual product goals — now what?

Measurable and time bound. These are the key parameters of a solid product goal — helping you track progress and quantify success. It is motivating to have something concrete to work toward. That is, until you start to feel time squeezed, and the numbers are not quite measuring up the way you had hoped. Suddenly, your product goals shift from a source of motivation to one of stress. What happens then?

If you are feeling the pressure, take a moment to recalibrate and refocus on how to get your progress back on track — now and for the future.

It is December. How are you pacing toward your annual product goals? If you are on track, that is a solid accomplishment. Trailing behind? Not such a welcome feeling. But the reality is that this happens. When you set ambitious goals, you might not achieve everything you planned.

The past few years have been challenging for the tech industry. Although the economy is showing signs of recovery and SaaS companies are starting to rebound, uncertainty persists. Market and customer needs are evolving rapidly, and everyone is working to adapt. It is no surprise that longer-term goals could have lagged along the way.

This can be disheartening for anyone who invested real effort into crafting a 2024 product strategy and worked to honor it all year. You might feel resigned to falling short or be tempted to lower your targets at the last minute. In times of uncertainty, it is natural to even question the value of setting long-term goals.

But strategic guardrails will always be important if you want to make meaningful product progress. This is true in the best and worst of times.

Instead of wallowing in what went wrong, focus on what action you can take in these final weeks of the year. You might not make up lost ground entirely (nor should you — everyone shares some responsibility). But you still have time to assess what happened, recommit to one last push, and apply what you learn to next year.

Sound like a plan? Here are some ways to get going now:

Be real (even if it hurts)

Start investigating. Examine where you are tracking behind, and be honest about why. That means going beyond obvious shifts in the market or customer feedback and thinking critically about internal challenges such as team capacity or misalignment. The truth might sting a little. But this exercise will give you a better sense of what put you off the pace.

Share your findings with the team to uncover any gaps you might have missed. Use a whiteboard template (like 5 whys or a retrospective) to gather and organize everyone's input.

Be swift and decisive

Finish strong by focusing on what matters most with the time remaining. Quickly identify your top priorities (such as those tied to revenue potential or critical company needs) and direct your energy there.

For the goals with slim chances of success, assess whether it is worthwhile to keep pushing. If the path forward is not clear, it might be more valuable to focus on what you can learn rather than eking out marginal progress. Pay extra attention to product usage and customer feedback in these areas to gather insights for the future.

Go on — still celebrate

Missing goals feels crummy. But know that effort holds value, even when the outcome is not perfect. Highlight what has gone well and share gratitude for those who have done the work with you. Acknowledging progress, even if imperfect, can provide the morale boost needed to keep moving forward. People will remember how you show up during tough times more than during moments of easy success.

Reframe the future

Use this time to shape what comes next. Reflect on your goals: Were they realistic? Do they align with what the team wants to achieve? If they made sense at the start or middle of the year, do they still reflect current priorities?

Note what you learn, then consider what should change as you draft next year's strategy. If your projections were far off or alignment across the team was weaker than expected, it might be time to reevaluate how you structure your product strategy. (We built a framework that can help with that.)

Whether or not you hit your annual goals, how you finish the year will shape how you start the next.

I hope this gives you a clear path for closing out 2024. Taking the time to reflect and reset will provide valuable insights as you shape your 2025 strategy and product roadmap. Product excellence takes thoughtful, consistent work — we will be here to cheer you on and offer support where you need it.

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