Most organisations set goals once a year and review them once a year, often in the same meeting. By then the goals are out of date, progress has been forgotten and the review is a scramble for evidence. A better rhythm is simple, quick and much more effective.
A practical review rhythm
| Frequency | Who | What | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly | You | Check next actions; note progress | 10 minutes |
| Monthly | You and your manager | Review progress; remove blockers | 15 to 30 minutes |
| Quarterly | You and your manager | Adjust goals if priorities have changed | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Annually | You and your manager | Assess results; set next year's goals | 1 hour |
This adds up to a few hours a year and saves far more in wasted effort.
Did you know? Adobe scrapped its annual performance reviews in 2012 and replaced them with regular "check-in" conversations between managers and employees. The company reported that managers saved tens of thousands of hours a year previously spent on annual reviews.
What to cover at each check-in
Weekly (on your own):
- What did I complete towards my goals?
- What is my next action?
- Is anything blocked?
Monthly (with your manager):
- Are we on track against milestones?
- What support do I need?
- What has changed that affects the goals?
Quarterly:
- Do these goals still reflect the priorities?
- Should any be adjusted, added or dropped? See can you change your goals mid-year.
Using feedback to improve your goals
Reviews are not just about checking progress. They are a chance to improve the goals themselves:
- Ask what is working. If one approach is producing results, do more of it.
- Ask stakeholders. Colleagues and customers often see progress, or problems, before you do.
- Refine the measure. If your metric is not capturing what matters, change it. See what makes a goal measurable.
Make it easy to keep up
- Book monthly check-ins in advance for the whole year.
- Keep one document with goals and progress notes in the same place.
- Link reviews to existing meetings, such as one-to-ones.
The bottom line
Check goals weekly on your own, monthly with your manager and adjust them quarterly. Light, regular reviews keep goals relevant and make annual reviews easy. For tracking methods, see how to track progress on your work goals, and for how reviews connect to appraisals, goals and performance reviews. Our Business Planning and Goal Setting course covers review cycles for OKRs and KPIs.