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What are Fast Goals: Definition, Examples, and Implementation

FAST goal setting is a revolutionary approach that's transforming how companies and individuals set and pursue their objectives. In this article, we'll dive deep into the world of FAST goals, exploring their definition, providing examples, and discussing how to implement them effectively. 

Defining FAST Goals

FAST is an acronym that stands for four key principles: 

  • Frequently discussed 
  • Ambitious 
  • Specific 
  • Transparent 

Unlike traditional SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound), FAST goals emphasize ongoing communication, push for higher achievements, and promote organizational transparency. This approach has been adopted by leading companies such as Google, Intel, and Anheuser-Busch InBev, proving its effectiveness across various industries. 

Related: What are WISE Goals: A Comprehensive Guide

Breaking Down the FAST Principles

Frequently Discussed 

FAST goals are not set and forgotten. They're embedded in regular discussions, ensuring that objectives remain top-of-mind and progress is continuously monitored. This frequent engagement allows for quick adjustments and keeps everyone aligned with an organization’s strategic priorities. 

Example: A marketing team might have weekly check-ins to discuss progress on their goal of increasing website traffic by 50% over the quarter. 

Ambitious 

While SMART goals emphasize "achievable" targets, FAST goals encourage setting ambitious objectives that push individuals and teams beyond their comfort zones. This approach fosters innovation and prevents the tendency to "sandbag" or set easily attainable goals. 

Example: Instead of aiming for a 10% increase in sales, a FAST goal might target a 100% increase, encouraging the team to think creatively and explore new strategies. 

Specific 

Like SMART goals, FAST goals should be specific and measurable. However, they take it a step further by breaking down objectives into concrete metrics and milestones. This specificity helps clarify expectations and makes it easier to track progress. 

Example: Rather than a vague goal like "improve customer satisfaction," a FAST goal might be "increase Net Promoter Score from 30 to 50 within six months by implementing a new customer feedback system and resolving top three customer pain points." 

Transparent 

FAST goals are made public within the organization. This transparency promotes accountability, facilitates coordination across teams, and helps employees understand how their work contributes to the company's overall strategy. 

Example: A company might use an internal platform where all employees can view and track departmental and company-wide goals.

Implementing FAST Goals for Personal Goal Setting

While FAST goals are often discussed in a business context, they can be equally powerful for personal goal setting. Here's how you can apply the FAST principles to your individual pursuits:

1. Frequently Discussed

  • Self-reflection: Schedule regular check-ins with yourself, perhaps weekly or bi-weekly, to review your personal goals and get an overview of your progress. 
  • Accountability partner: Share your goals with a friend, family member, or mentor, and set up regular discussions to keep yourself on track. 
  • Journal: Maintain a goal journal where you frequently write about your objectives and the steps you're taking to achieve them. 

Example: If your goal is to learn a new language, you might set aside 15 minutes every Sunday to review your progress, plan for the week ahead, and adjust your study strategy as needed. 

  1. Ambitious

  • Dream big: Don't limit yourself to what seems easily achievable. Set goals that excite and challenge you. 
  • 10x thinking: Instead of incremental improvements, consider how you might multiply your results by ten. 
  • Stretch yourself: Choose goals that require you to grow, learn new skills, or step out of your comfort zone. 

Example: Rather than aiming to read 12 books in a year, set an ambitious goal of reading 50 books, which might require you to develop new reading strategies or habits. 

  1. Specific

  • Break it down: Divide your big goals into specific, measurable milestones. 
  • Use numbers: Whenever possible, include quantifiable metrics in your goals. 
  • Set deadlines: Assign timeframes to your goals and milestones to create urgency and structure. 

Example: Instead of a vague goal like "get fit," you might aim to "run a 5K in under 30 minutes by June 1st, following a specific training plan with three runs per week." 

  1. Transparent

  • Share selectively: While you don't need to make all personal goals public, consider sharing key objectives with trusted friends or on social media for added accountability. 
  • Visualize: Create a vision board or goal tracker that you display prominently in your home or office. 
  • Join a community: Find or create a group of like-minded individuals pursuing similar goals, where you can openly discuss your objectives and progress. 

Example: If you're working on a creative project, you might join an online community of artists or writers where you share your goals and regular updates on your work.

IImage by Alex Kinkate on Pexels

Putting It All Together: A Personal FAST Goal Example

Let's say you want to improve your financial situation. Here's how you might frame this as a FAST goal: 

  • Frequently Discussed: Set up a weekly financial review every Sunday evening, and a monthly check-in with a financially savvy friend. 
  • Ambitious: Aim to increase your net worth by 50% in the next 18 months. 
  • Specific: Break this down into concrete actions, such as "Increase income by $1000/month through a side hustle," "Reduce monthly expenses by $500," and "Invest 20% of income in diversified index funds." 
  • Transparent: Share your goal with your partner or a close friend, and post monthly anonymous updates on a personal finance forum for accountability. 

You can bring the same level of focus, ambition, and accountability to your individual aspirations that top-performing companies bring to their strategic goals. The key is to stay engaged with your goals, push yourself beyond what's comfortable, be specific in your targets, and leverage transparency to maintain motivation and accountability. Leverage useful tools for goal-setting like TaskSpur you can effectively implement FAST goals in your personal life, keeping your objectives front-and-center and maximizing your chances of success. 

Related: What is SMARTER Goal Setting

Implementing FAST Goals in Your Organization

  • Start with leadership buy-in. Ensure that top management understands and supports the FAST goal methodology. 
  • Train your team. Conduct workshops to familiarize employees with the FAST approach and how it differs from traditional goal-setting methods. 
  • Use goal-setting software. Implement a platform that allows for easy goal tracking, updates, and visibility across the organization. 
  • Encourage regular check-ins. Establish a rhythm of weekly or bi-weekly discussions around goals to keep them front and center. 
  • Celebrate progress. Recognize and reward ambitious goal-setting and achievement to reinforce the desired behavior. 
  • Decouple from performance reviews. Consider following Google's approach of separating goal achievement from compensation decisions to encourage more ambitious target-setting. 

Real-World Success Stories

Companies like AB InBev have seen remarkable success with FAST goals. When Marcel Telles took over as CEO of Companhia Cervejaria Brahma (which later became part of AB InBev), he implemented a system of transparent, ambitious goals. This approach helped transform the company into the world's largest and most profitable beer-maker.


Image by Pixabay on Pexels


Similarly, tech giants like Google and Intel have used variations of FAST goals (such as Objectives and Key Results, or OKRs) to drive innovation and maintain their competitive edge in rapidly evolving markets. 

Overcoming Challenges

While FAST goals offer numerous benefits, implementing them can come with challenges: 

  • Resistance to transparency: Some employees may be uncomfortable with their goals being visible to others. Address this by emphasizing the benefits of transparency and starting with less sensitive goals. 
  • Fear of failure: Ambitious goals may intimidate some team members. Encourage a culture that values learning from failure and celebrates effort as much as achievement. 
  • Keeping discussions productive: With frequent goal discussions, there's a risk of meeting fatigue. Ensure these check-ins remain focused and valuable. 

Related: SMART Goal Setting: A Guide with Practical Examples (FREE Printables Included)

Conclusion

FAST goals represent a paradigm shift in how we approach goal-setting in the modern workplace. By making goals frequent, ambitious, specific, and transparent, organizations can boost alignment, coordination, and agility – key factors in successful strategy execution. 

As you implement FAST goals in your own work or organization, remember that the system's power lies in its ability to keep important objectives at the forefront of everyone's minds, push for greater achievements, and create a shared sense of purpose across the entire company. 

Whether you're a startup founder, a team leader, or an individual contributor, adopting the FAST goal methodology can help you achieve more than you ever thought possible. So why settle for SMART when you can be FAST? 

FAQ

  1. What does FAST stand for in goal setting?

FAST is an acronym that stands for: 

  • F: Frequently discussed 
  • A: Ambitious 
  • S: Specific 
  • T: Transparent 
  1. How do FAST goals differ from SMART goals?

While both frameworks aim to improve goal-setting, FAST goals emphasize ongoing communication (Frequently discussed), push for higher achievements (Ambitious), and promote organizational or personal transparency (Transparent). SMART goals focus on being Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. 

  1. Which companies use FAST goals?

Several high-profile companies have adopted variations of FAST goals, including Google, Intel, and Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev). Many tech companies in Silicon Valley use a similar system called Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). 

  1. Can FAST goals be used for personal goal setting?

Yes, FAST goals can be highly effective for personal goal setting. The principles can be adapted to individual use by setting up regular self-reviews, pushing yourself to set ambitious targets, being specific about what you want to achieve, and sharing your goals with trusted friends or communities for accountability. 

  1. How often should FAST goals be reviewed?

The 'F' in FAST stands for 'Frequently discussed,' so these goals should be reviewed regularly. In a business context, this might mean weekly team check-ins or monthly progress reviews. For personal goals, you might set up weekly self-reflection sessions or bi-weekly check-ins with an accountability partner. 

  1. Should all FAST goals be made public?

While transparency is a key principle of FAST goals, not every goal needs to be fully public. In an organizational context, goals should be visible to relevant team members and leadership. For personal goals, you might share them with close friends, family, or specific communities rather than broadcasting them widely. 

  1. How ambitious should FAST goals be?

FAST goals should push you or your team beyond the comfort zone, but they shouldn't be impossible. A good rule of thumb is to set goals that you have a 50-70% chance of achieving fully. This level of ambition encourages innovation and prevents sandbagging. 

  1. How do you measure the success of FAST goals?

Success with FAST goals is measured not just by achievement, but also by progress and learning. Because these goals are ambitious, partial completion often represents significant progress. The specific metrics and milestones you set as part of your FAST goals will help you measure success objectively. 

  1. Can FAST goals work in any industry or personal situation?

Yes, the principles of FAST goals can be adapted to virtually any industry or personal situation. The key is to tailor the implementation to your specific context while maintaining the core principles of frequent discussion, ambition, specificity, and transparency. 

  1. How do you start implementing FAST goals in an organization?

To implement FAST goals in an organization: 

  • Start with leadership buy-in 
  • Train your team on the FAST methodology 
  • Use goal-setting software for transparency and tracking 
  • Establish regular check-ins 
  • Celebrate progress and learning, not just full achievement 
  • Consider decoupling goal achievement from performance reviews to encourage ambitious target-setting 

About the Author 

Bernard Boodeea is the CEO of Life Intelligence Group and the original engineer and founder of TaskSpur, a goal management app and passion project. Bernard hopes to incorporate agile principles into the design of products that help individuals achieve their goals in life.   

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