Better Planning Starts by Asking Better Questions
I first heard the phrase “What is the goal of the goal?” at a scrum conference, and it immediately stopped me in my tracks. As someone who spends a lot of time helping organizations meet their goals, that question stuck with me long after the conference ended.
Because once you hear it, you start noticing something interesting.
“How often do we carry goals over from year to year simply because we didn’t quite meet them? Or because they were labeled as “multi‑year goals” and just keep rolling forward by default?”
That’s exactly what “What is the goal of the goal?” is asking us to pause and examine. It’s not just about naming a goal—it’s about being clear on why that goal exists in the first place. And just as importantly, it asks whether the actions we’re taking are actually aligned with that deeper purpose.
When you look at it that way, goal‑setting becomes less about checking a box and more about intention. Goals shouldn’t exist just so we can say we have them. They should help move the company closer to its mission. And even then, goals are only one piece of the puzzle. Sometimes the more important question is whether there are other actions—or even simpler ones—that could make a bigger impact.
This kind of reflection is something agile teams already practice through retrospectives. At the end of a project, teams come together to look at what worked, what didn’t, and what could be improved next time. It’s an easy step to skip when everyone is eager to move on, but those conversations often surface small tweaks that lead to meaningful improvements.
“What we don’t always realize, though, is that retrospectives don’t have to be limited to projects.”
They can be incredibly useful for ongoing operations, too. The challenge is that long‑standing processes are hard to question. There’s a certain comfort in doing things the way they’ve always been done—even when the context around them has changed.
I worked with a client who planned their projects 18 months in advance every single year. Their planning process involved departments brainstorming strengths and weaknesses and then turning those insights into a list of potential projects. It was thorough, familiar, and well‑established.
But over time, the organization changed. There was a reorganization, and several process‑improvement initiatives happened throughout the year. When annual planning came around again, it became clear that the existing process no longer fit the reality of how work was actually getting done.
“So instead of pushing through out of habit, we paused.”
We walked through each step of the process and asked whether it still made sense. The result was a streamlined approach that reflected the work already completed during the year.
And no—it wasn’t less effective.
In fact, it made everything else more impactful. By leveraging previous efforts and removing unnecessary steps, employees weren’t forced through a process that no longer added value. The planning became more focused, more relevant, and better aligned with the organization’s current goals.
Which brings us right back to that original question: What is the goal of the goal?
Sometimes, the most meaningful progress comes from simply stopping long enough to ask it.