FYI;
This is a framework for how we articulated Intended Outcomes at Shopify, which is really a fancy word for a 30-60-90 plan, or smart goals (which is outlined below anyway).
Why it’s important
When intended outcomes are well-defined, you and your lead have a clear and common understanding of what you’re working toward, why it matters, and how it will benefit both individuals, their teams, and Shopify.
How to do it
- Create 3-4 specific intended outcomes that align to team goals (try and look 6 months ahead)
- Use the Intended Outcomes tab in Fellow to track
- Set clear timelines to complete outcomes
- Follow up on progress and adjust outcomes regularly with your lead
Ideas for how to split 3-4 outcomes:
A people lead might split their goals into:
- Team impact & execution: shipping projects that map to company goals
- Upleveling team craft & overall quality of UX
- Team development & hiring
- Personal development (leadership, related to level expectations, or Shopify values)
A lead might split their goals into:
- Owning strategy / execution on 1-2 big projects that map to team and company goals
- Improving craft + the craft of the entire team/discipline
- Hiring / recruiting / mentoring
- Personal development (leadership, related to level expectations, or Shopify values)
An individual contributor might split their goals into:
- Individual impact/execution on 1-2 big projects that map to team and company goals
- Improving their craft / UX quality
- Personal development (related to level expectations, impact review feedback, Shopify values)
Questions to help you brainstorm
- Business impact: What is your big rock area or project of focus for the next 1-2 quarters, the area you “own” in terms of impact? What projects are you allocated to that have the best chance at influencing company goals? How will you challenge yourself to do more than just execute but to improve the long-term UX for this project?
2. Craft/discipline growth: How do you want to be a better writer/designer/UXer? How do you want to work on your UX skills in support of our 2021 mission plan? Which of our experience values or product principles do you want to get sharper on? Some things we ship are quick experiments, but which specific project will you focus on the highest quality?
3. Personal development/values: What’s a Shopify value you want to get better at? How could you practice it more? Do you want to be a lead or a manager? How could you grow into it? Is there feedback from a recent impact review you want to get better at?
How to write it + examples
Outcome headline: Make it specific, motivating, and relevant to team/company mission. “I want to do X by Y because Z.” (What + When + Why)
Example (lead) - business impact outcome:
Create and share a vision for a unified Marketplace in H1 that helps merchants get exactly what they need to grow their business.
Example (IC) - business impact outcome:
Ship a brand new Themes homepage by April that helps merchants find the right theme for them.
Example (IC) - personal development outcome:
Work on my presentation and storytelling skills this half so that I can better communicate my ideas to stakeholders.
Cross-check: are your goals legit?
SMART goals are: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. We love SMART goals.
You can also try the 3Cs: Clear, Challenging, Connected
Clear
- Can you make it more specific?
- How will you know if you’ve achieved it?
- Can you measure success, quantitatively or qualitatively?
- When will it be completed?
Challenging
- How confident are you in your ability to achieve it (e.g., 60% confident)?
- If <70% confident, what support, or resources would you need to get to 70%?
- If above 70% confident, how can you broaden the scope or increase the pace or quality of execution to make it more challenging?
Connected
- Is it aligned with broader team and/or organizational goals?
- Is it aligned with any personal development goals?
- Is it meaningful and motivating?