How to create an outcome

Learning outcomes:

• What is an outcome

• Create an outcome in the goal detail page

• Create an outcome in the goals module

• Cumulative vs discrete outcomes

What is an outcome

An outcome is a measure that if achieved, indicates you have achieved your goal. They should be specific, time bound, aggressive but realistic and verifiable through measurement.

As a measure, outcomes are best as metrics; number #, currency $ or percentage %.

Find out more about outcomes here.

Create an outcome in the goal detail page

To create an outcome in the goal detail page, open the goal detail page by clicking a goal title wherever you are in the app (the goal title will turn blue when you hover over it).

In the goal detail page, you can add an outcome in 2 places shown below:

On click of either of these buttons the outcome editor will be displayed.

When you are creating a new outcome, add the outcome title and due date. Then select the metric the outcome will track. In the example below we are tracking the number of qualified leads, so we have chosen our metric to be a number.

We are also tracking a cumulative total. Our target is to qualify 100 leads by the outcome's due date. If you are tracking a discrete value, click discrete. 

A cumulative measure is a running total, eg. achieve $1 million in sales this quarter. Whereas a discrete measure counts specific, separate values, eg. the number of sales made this month.

Add the value you are starting from and your target value.

You will see the start and target value update in the progress component. The value on the left of the slider is the start value, and the value on the right of the slider is the target value.

Again, in the example below we are starting from 0, and our target is 100. 

Complete the outcome setup by selecting your confidence in achieving the outcome, and hit save.

Create an outcome in the goal module

To navigate to the goal module, click the navigation button in the top left of the screen, then select Goals

Once the goal module loads, click the outcome button in line with the goal you are adding an outcome to.

The outcome editor will be displayed. Complete the same steps as above and hit save to create the outcome.

Outcomes can be edited at any time up until the goal's status becomes Complete, so they don't have to be perfect when you're creating them. That doesn't mean you can write any old thing, outcomes are critical to your goal.

Now you have an outcome, which means you have a metric to measure against your goal!

Cumulative Vs Discrete outcomes

As mentioned above, a cumulative measure is a running total, eg. achieve $1 million in sales this quarter. Whereas a discrete measure counts specific, separate values, eg. the number of sales made this month.

When tracking a cumulative target, your first waypoint should start on the start date of the outcome, which is preset to the start date of the goal the outcome relates to, and reflect the starting value entered into the outcome. The last waypoint, will be the date the outcome is due and reflect the target value. 

In the above example you can see each waypoint value increases reflecting the running total.

When tracking a discrete target waypoints aare different. Use discrete when tracking measures such as 100 sales per month, monthly margin of x%,  or monthly NPS > 25.

Discrete waypoint data and chart is different to cumulative because you are working on achieving a specific value by each waypoint. In the below example, the same outcome is being used as above only it has been updated from cumulative to discrete. So where before the cumulative target was 100, now the discrete target is to qualify 100 leads in the period between each waypoint.

To capture actual progress against discrete waypoints, the outcome's progress will be captured at each waypoint date, then the outcome's progress will be reset to 0 (the starting value of the outcome is).