Strategic goalsarelong-term objectivesthat focus on guiding the organization toward its overarching mission and vision. These goals are defined by leadership and align with theorganization’s long-term strategy to ensure sustainable growth and success.
Key Features of Strategic Goals:
Long-Term Focus:
Strategic goals typically cover a timeframe of 3 to 10 years or more and provide a high-level direction for the organization.
Guide Strategic Planning:
These goals inform the organization’s strategic plans, aligning resources, initiatives, and decisions with the desired future state.
Set by Leadership:
Strategic goals are often established by senior leaders or the governing authority and cascade down to inform departmental or operational objectives.
Broader Scope:
Unlike operational or tactical goals, strategic goals address broader areas like market positioning, innovation, sustainability, or customer satisfaction.
Examples of Strategic Goals:
Expanding into new markets within the next five years.
Becoming a leader in sustainable manufacturing by 2030.
Increasing customer retention by 25% over three years.
Why Option C is Correct:
Strategic goals arelong-term objectivesset at higher levels of the organization to serve asguideposts for strategic planning, aligning all activities toward the organization’s mission and vision.
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:
A. Short-term objectives: Short-term objectives, such as daily operations, are tactical or operational goals, not strategic.
B. Specific sales/marketing targets: While sales and marketing may contribute to achieving strategic goals, they are tactical or departmental objectives.
D. Quantitative financial performance measures: Financial performance measures, like profit margins, are important metrics but are not equivalent to strategic goals.
References and Resources:
Balanced Scorecard Framework– Highlights the role of strategic goals in aligning with long-term objectives.
COSO ERM Framework– Connects strategic goals with enterprise risk management to ensure alignment with organizational priorities.
ISO 9001:2015– Emphasizes the importance of setting long-term objectives within strategic planning processes.