Goal Setting Worksheet | Trimaren Human Capital Partners

Goal setting in life sciences organizations moves fast, programs shift, regulatory timelines compress, and team priorities can pivot with a single data readout. This worksheet gives leaders a structured, repeatable way to set meaningful individual and team goals that stay connected to organizational strategy, hold up through change, and give people something concrete to work toward and be measured against.

Before You Begin: Anchor Goals to Organizational Priorities

Before writing a single goal, confirm you have clarity on the following. Goals written in a vacuum rarely survive the quarter.

[ ] What are the organization's top 3–5 priorities for this period (program milestones, regulatory submissions, commercial launch readiness, hiring targets, etc.)?
[ ] What does success look like for your function or team within those priorities?
[ ] Are there cross-functional dependencies this person or team will need to navigate?
[ ] Are there known constraints, budget, headcount, regulatory timelines, that should shape scope?
[ ] Has leadership aligned on these organizational priorities, or is there ambiguity that needs to be resolved first?

Section 1: Individual Goal Setting, SMART Framework

Use one block per goal. Most individuals in a growing life sciences organization should carry 3–5 meaningful goals per cycle. More than that dilutes focus; fewer may not reflect the full scope of the role.

Goal Record

Goal Title: _A short, clear label (e.g., "Complete IND-enabling toxicology study oversight" or "Build and onboard QA team through Phase II readiness")_

Goal Statement (SMART): Write the goal in full, checking each element:

[ ] Specific, Is it clear what will be accomplished and by whom?
[ ] Measurable, Is there a defined output, deliverable, or metric that confirms completion?
[ ] Achievable, Is it realistic given current resources, capacity, and organizational constraints?
[ ] Relevant, Does it connect directly to a team or organizational priority?
[ ] Time-bound, Is there a clear deadline or review point?

Organizational Priority This Goal Supports: _Link explicitly to a company OKR, strategic initiative, or program milestone._

Key Milestones:

| Milestone | Target Date | Owner | Status | |-----------|-------------|-------|--------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Potential Obstacles or Dependencies: _List anything that could slow progress, a vendor timeline, a regulatory decision, a cross-functional handoff._

How Progress Will Be Tracked: _Check-in cadence, reporting mechanism, or observable evidence of progress._

Section 2: Team Goal Setting

Team goals operate at a higher level than individual goals but should still be SMART and milestone-driven. In life sciences, team goals often map directly to program deliverables, regulatory milestones, or operational readiness targets.

Team Goal Record

Team / Function:

Goal Statement:

Connection to Organizational Priority:

Individual Contributors Accountable for Key Milestones:

| Milestone | Accountable Individual | Target Date | |-----------|----------------------|-------------| | | | | | | | |

How the Team Will Review Progress:

[ ] Defined check-in cadence (weekly, biweekly, monthly)
[ ] Clear escalation path if a milestone is at risk
[ ] Agreed-upon definition of "on track" vs. "at risk" vs. "off track"

Section 3: Goal Quality Check

Before finalizing any goal, individual or team, run it through this quick review:

[ ] Can the person explain this goal and why it matters in two sentences?
[ ] Would a neutral observer agree the goal is complete or incomplete at the end of the period?
[ ] Does the goal reflect the actual scope and complexity of the role?
[ ] Is there at least one goal that stretches the individual's capability, not just maintains current performance?
[ ] For regulated roles (QA, Regulatory Affairs, Manufacturing): Are compliance and cGMP obligations reflected, not assumed?
[ ] For roles with IP exposure: Are any goals touching inventions, licensing, or external partnerships flagged for legal review?

Section 4: Mid-Cycle Check-In Guide

Life sciences timelines shift. Build a structured mid-cycle review into the process rather than waiting for year-end surprises.

Questions for the mid-cycle conversation:

Which goals are on track? What evidence supports that?
Which goals are at risk, and why?
Have organizational priorities shifted in a way that requires goal modification?
Are there resource or dependency issues the leader needs to address?
Does the individual need additional support, development, or clarity to succeed?

Goal Status Options:

On Track, Progress is consistent with the milestone plan
Modified, Scope, timeline, or success criteria adjusted due to legitimate change; document the reason
At Risk, Behind plan; a recovery path has been identified and documented
Deferred, Deprioritized due to organizational shift; not a performance issue unless pattern is recurring
Closed/Complete, Deliverable met; document the outcome

Section 5: End-of-Cycle Documentation

At close of the goal period, capture the following for each goal before moving into any formal review conversation:

[ ] Was the goal met, partially met, or not met?
[ ] What was the actual outcome (not just the activity)?
[ ] Were there external factors that affected the result?
[ ] What does this outcome tell you about the individual's performance, capability, or development needs?
[ ] What should carry forward into the next goal cycle?

> A note on compliance: Goal documentation becomes part of the performance record and may be relevant in employment decisions. Keep records accurate, objective, and consistently applied across your team. For documentation standards, performance-management processes, or state-specific requirements, Trimaren can help, and coordinate legal review where required. Reach out to strengthen your process.

How Trimaren Can Help

Building a goal-setting process that actually works across a growing organization, one that scales from a 15-person startup to a 200-person commercial-stage company, takes more than a template. Trimaren Human Capital Partners works with life sciences leaders to design and implement performance frameworks that fit the pace and complexity of your organization, train managers to have better goal-setting conversations, and ensure your people processes hold up as you grow. If you'd like to tailor this worksheet or build it into a broader performance management approach, we're glad to help.