GOAL SETTING THAT STICKS
FIVE SCIENCE-BASED STRATEGIES TO HELP YOUR TEAM SMASH 2026
I’m currently being booked by clients to design and lead their Q1 and 2026 goal setting sessions. The reason is simple: most teams approach goal setting with good intentions but miss the balance between mindset, neuroscience and structure. They start strong but lose traction when motivation fades or the plan feels disconnected from real people.
As an exclusive freebie to help you shape your own 2026 kick-off, here are my five top tips. They combine the science of how the brain works with what actually drives team performance in practice. Together, they help you connect people to purpose, build real ownership and keep progress visible so the goals you set turn into habits that last well beyond the first quarter.
1. Start With the “Why Me”
Before diving into numbers and targets, take a moment to connect every goal to meaning. When people understand how their goals link to the wider business story, the prefrontal cortex, which manages focus, planning and prioritising, activates.
That shift turns abstract tasks into something personally relevant. When people can see where they fit, energy follows. Purpose creates clarity, and clarity drives performance.
Tip: Begin every goal conversation with “Why does this matter to us, and to you?” and keep revisiting it as the year unfolds.
2. Upgrade From Compliance to Ownership
When goals are dictated, people comply. When they co-create, they commit. Autonomy activates the brain’s reward system, making people far more likely to stay motivated and accountable. Invite your team to shape how they’ll deliver, and value their input as much as their output. When they feel trusted to find their own route to success, you’ll see ownership rise and the need for micromanagement fall.
Tip: Replace “Here’s what we need you to do” with “How do you think we can achieve this together?” to turn instruction into collaboration.
3. Create a vision of success
Logic sets direction but emotion sustains effort, as facts alone don’t change behaviour; feelings do. Help your team picture what success will look, sound and feel like. This NLP-based visualisation activates the limbic system, the emotional part of the brain that drives memory and motivation. A shared, vivid picture of success turns goals from abstract ideas into something everyone believes in and moves toward.
Tip: Try this exercise: “It’s March and we’ve nailed Q1. What’s different? What can you see, hear and feel?” Let the team describe it in their own words to make the vision stick.
4. Create safety and trust
Stretch is essential for growth, but safety is essential for performance. The brain can’t innovate or stay resourceful when it feels under threat. The best sessions combine ambition with a sense of trust where people feel free to challenge, ask questions and admit uncertainty without judgment. That mix of high standards and psychological safety keeps people creative, confident and resilient as they push forward.
Tip: Before setting stretch targets, ask “What would help you feel confident taking this on?” You’ll discover insights that remove barriers before they slow progress.
5. Build In Micro-Wins
Finally, create and celebrate all the wins! The brain thrives on evidence of progress, and long-range goals are important, but the dopamine system needs more frequent proof that things are moving forward. Break big ambitions into smaller, visible steps that people can celebrate along the way. It could be a quick win shared in a meeting, a visible tracker that shows progress, or a five-minute reflection at the end of the week. When success feels close and constant, motivation becomes self-sustaining.
Tip: End each week with a short, positive “what worked” check-in. It keeps attention on learning and growth instead of gaps.
Ready to make your goal setting session stick?
Book a short call and I’ll tailor a Goal Setting That Sticks workshop that fits your culture, values and leadership style so your teams start 2026 aligned, confident and ready to deliver.