Workplace Multiplier by Tola Akinsulire

April 30, 2025

Welcome to the Workplace Multiplier newsletter. Published Monday to Friday, equipping you to achieve your professional goals faster and without burnout or overwhelm by leveraging The Triple Win Method.

Don't set these goals if you want that promotion

Howdy ,

Remember when I mentioned that your boss isn't thinking about your promotion all day?

Well, today I want to dive deeper into the first step of our career advancement strategy: setting clear, measurable targets.

Why vague goals kill your promotion chances

Here's something I've noticed coaching professionals across three continents: most people's goals sound like this:

1. "To close out on key sales opportunities"
2. "Achieve as “done” all non-technology related re-engineering project deliverables"
3. "Manage collaboration efforts with company xx in order to maximize the full potential of the strategic relationship."

I didn’t make these up - these are actual targets from someone’s target plan. I just did a slight edit to maintain anonymity.

They sound impressive, but they're promotion killers. Why? They're impossible to measure.

Your boss can't advocate for you with fuzzy accomplishments. They need specifics they can point to and say, "This is why deserves that promotion."

The SMART+ Method

You've probably heard of SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). I add a "+" which stands for "Plus impact measurement."

Here's how to implement this approach:

1. Schedule a target-setting meeting with your boss. Don't wait for a formal review period - be proactive and request 30 minutes specifically for this.

2. Bring draft targets to the meeting. Show you've thought about this. Something like: "Reduce customer complaint resolution time from current average of 72 hours to under 48 hours by Q3."

3. Discuss impact measurement. For each target, establish how you'll measure success AND what that success means for the department/company. For example: "Faster resolution will improve our customer satisfaction scores by approximately 15% based on previous feedback data."

4. Document and get sign-off. After the meeting, email a summary of the agreed targets to your boss. This creates a record you can refer to later.

I coached people now and again who wanted to transform their career trajectory with this approach. Their bosses will actually be relieved that they came prepared with clear targets - it made their jobs easier too!

Remember the “bad” targets I shared at the beginning? Let’s revamp them.

1. "To close out on key sales opportunities" becomes “close out on 3 key sales opportunities which will deliver $xxm in revenue”
2. "Achieve as “done” all non-technology related re-engineering project deliverables" becomes “Complete 20 non-technology related re-engineering project deliverables leading to a reduction of xx% in processing time”
3. "Manage collaboration efforts with company xx in order to maximize the full potential of the strategic relationship." becomes “Maximize collaboration with company xx by releasing 2 new products together to grow revenue by $xxm”

They sound better, right?

I bet they do.

Your action step today

Draft three SMART+ targets for your current role. Be specific and think about how you'll measure success. If you need feedback on one of your draft targets, hit reply - I'd be happy to help you refine it.

Tomorrow, I'll show you how to align these targets with your organization's direction to maximize your visibility.

Keep winning at work and in life,

Tola Akinsulire

Your Strategic Workplace Mentor

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