Starting a new role is exciting, but goal setting can feel impossible when you do not yet know what success looks like, how things work or what is realistic. The answer is to set goals in stages: learning goals first, performance goals once you understand the job.
Why goal setting is harder in a new role
- You do not know the baseline. What is normal performance here?
- You do not know the politics. Who influences what?
- You do not know the unwritten expectations. What does your manager really value?
Setting firm performance targets too early often leads to goals that are too easy, too hard or simply irrelevant.
Did you know? Researchers Hengchen Dai, Katherine Milkman and Jason Riis described a "fresh start effect" in 2014: people are more likely to pursue goals after temporal landmarks such as a new week, month, year or birthday. A new job is one of the biggest fresh starts you will get, so it is a good moment to set new habits.
Stage 1: Learning goals (first one to three months)
Focus on understanding:
- "Meet all key stakeholders and understand their priorities."
- "Learn our main systems well enough to work without support."
- "Understand how my performance will be measured and what good looks like."
A structured version of this is a 30-60-90 day plan.
Stage 2: Performance goals (after three months)
Once you understand the job, set normal goals: outcome-focused, measurable and time-bound. By now you know the baseline and can set targets that are realistic but stretching. See how to write work goals that make sense.
When you do not know what success looks like
Ask directly. Good questions for your manager:
- "What would a great first six months look like to you?"
- "Who has done this role well, and what did they do?"
- "What problems are you hoping I will solve?"
If the answers are vague, propose your own definition of success and ask your manager to react to it.
Goals for a career transition
If you have moved into a new industry or function, add goals that build credibility:
- A foundational skill you need but do not yet have.
- A relationship goal, such as finding a mentor who knows the field.
- An early visible contribution that uses the strengths you bring from your previous career.
Transferable skills are your advantage. Goals that show them in the new context help people see your value quickly.
The bottom line
In a new role, start with learning goals, move to performance goals after about three months and ask directly what success looks like. Career changers should add credibility-building goals. If you started mid-year with work already underway, see goals for work you already do. For a planning framework you can reuse in every new role, see our Business Planning and Goal Setting course.