If you're reading this, you probably already know the pain of vague, forgotten team goals. Maybe your company uses Motivosity (here’s what I mean: [motivosity.html]) for peer recognition, but now you want to actually set and track real team goals—goals that move the needle, not just look good on a dashboard.
This guide is for managers, team leads, or anyone who's got to wrangle a group of humans toward a target using Motivosity. We're going to walk through the nuts and bolts of setting up custom team goals, tracking progress, and—just as importantly—knowing what actually works, what’s worth skipping, and how to avoid common pitfalls.
Why Custom Team Goals Matter (and What to Watch Out For)
Before you start clicking around, let’s get real for a minute: most “goal setting” features in HR platforms are designed for reporting, not actual progress. Motivosity’s tools are better than most, but they’re not magic. They work if you keep things simple, stay honest about what you’re tracking, and don’t try to make every metric a “goal.”
Pro tips: - Don’t create goals just to fill up the dashboard. Less is more. - Make sure your team actually cares about the goal. If they don’t, it’ll become background noise. - Don’t let tracking become the work. The goal should point the way, not become another admin chore.
With that out of the way, let’s get into the step-by-step.
Step 1: Get Your Motivosity Permissions and Setup Sorted
You need to be an Admin or at least a Team Lead with the right permissions to set up custom goals in Motivosity. If you’re not sure what you have, check with whoever manages Motivosity in your company.
- Admin access is usually required for company-wide goals.
- Team Lead/Manager access is often enough for department or team-level goals.
Don’t waste time: If you can’t see the “Goals” or “Team Goals” section, you probably don’t have the right access. Ask for it before you go further.
Step 2: Clarify What You’re Actually Trying to Achieve
This might sound basic, but it’s where most teams trip up. Before you even touch Motivosity, answer these questions:
- What’s the outcome you want? (“Launch a new website” is clearer than “Improve web presence.”)
- How will you measure it? (Number, date, status—be specific.)
- Who’s responsible? (One owner per goal keeps things moving.)
What to ignore: Don’t try to set up goals for every possible thing. Stick to 2-3 goals per team at a time. If you can’t remember what the goal is without looking it up, it’s too complicated.
Step 3: Create a Custom Team Goal in Motivosity
Here’s how to set up a team goal from scratch. (Screens and options may change as Motivosity updates, but the basics stick around.)
- Log in to Motivosity.
- Go to the sidebar and find the “Goals” or “Team Goals” section.
- Sometimes this hides under “Performance” or “Team Management.”
- Click “Create Goal” (or “Add New Goal”).
- Fill in the details:
- Goal Name: Make it specific. (“Close 50 customer support tickets in June.”)
- Description: Briefly explain what success looks like. Don’t get wordy.
- Owner: Assign a single person, even for team goals. You can add contributors, but someone needs to be on the hook.
- Due Date: Set a clear deadline. “Someday” is not a date.
- Metric/Target: If Motivosity lets you, tie the goal to a number (sales, tickets, tasks).
- Visibility: Choose who can see the goal—just your team, or wider.
- Save the goal.
What works: Simplicity. The less you have to explain, the more likely your team is to take it seriously.
What doesn’t: Overcomplicating with sub-goals, dependencies, or vague targets. Motivosity isn’t a project management tool—don’t try to make it one.
Step 4: Add Milestones or Checkpoints (Optional, but Useful)
If your goal is big or will take weeks/months, break it into milestones. Motivosity lets you add checkpoints to show progress.
- For example: “Launch new website” → milestones like “Design approved,” “Content drafted,” “Development done.”
- These can be dates or percentages—whatever keeps folks honest.
Pro tip: Don’t add milestones just because you can. Each one should be meaningful (think, “Did we actually make progress?”).
Step 5: Assign Contributors or Teams
You can link people to goals, either as contributors or team members. This helps with accountability and visibility.
- Assign only those actually doing the work.
- Don’t add your whole department “just in case.” It dilutes responsibility.
Reality check: Too many cooks spoil the broth. A smaller, focused group works better for goal tracking.
Step 6: Track Progress and Update Regularly
This is where most teams drop the ball. Setting goals is easy; actually tracking them, not so much.
- Update status: Motivosity lets you mark progress (often as “Not Started,” “In Progress,” “Completed,” or as a %).
- Add comments or notes: Use the update/comment feature, not Slack or email, so everything’s in one place.
- Review at team meetings: Pull up the goals at least bi-weekly. If you’re not looking at them regularly, they’re not real goals.
What works: Honest progress updates, even if you’re behind. The goal is to learn and adjust, not to hide problems.
What doesn’t: Updating everything at the end “for the report.” That’s just gaming the system.
Step 7: Celebrate Wins (But Don’t Overdo It)
Motivosity is built around recognition—use it. When a team hits a goal, call it out:
- Give a shout-out through Motivosity’s recognition tools.
- Tie celebration to actual impact, not just “checking the box.”
- Avoid participation trophies for every tiny milestone; save the praise for real wins.
Pro tip: Recognition works best when it’s timely and specific.
Step 8: Review, Learn, and Reset Goals
When a goal wraps up—win or lose—take a minute to review:
- Did you hit the mark? If not, why?
- Was the goal too big, too vague, or just not relevant?
- What should you do differently next time?
Motivosity often has built-in reports or exports. Use these to spot patterns (missed deadlines, ignored goals, etc.). This is where you actually improve—not by setting more goals, but by setting better ones.
What to ignore: Don’t get stuck in endless review meetings. Take 10 minutes, learn something, move on.
What Motivosity Does Well (and Where It Falls Short)
Works well for: - Making goals visible and trackable for teams. - Simple, clear progress tracking and recognition. - Keeping everyone honest about what’s actually happening.
Not great for: - Complex project management (dependencies, Gantt charts, etc.). - Super-detailed metrics or integrations (unless you have a custom setup). - Forcing accountability—Motivosity can track, but it won’t manage your team for you.
So, don’t expect Motivosity to solve broken processes or vague leadership. Use it as a tool, not a crutch.
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Overthink It
Setting up and tracking custom team goals in Motivosity isn’t rocket science—but it does require you to be clear, honest, and a bit ruthless about what matters. Focus on a few important goals, keep updates regular, and use recognition for real progress.
If something isn’t working, change it. The best teams aren’t the ones who get it perfect the first time—they’re the ones who keep it simple, learn fast, and don’t get bogged down in process for process’s sake.
Now, go set a goal that actually matters—and keep it real.