set-targets-and-initiatives

Set Targets and Initiatives

When to use

For strategy office or program leads completing the classic BSC four-column structure: Objective, Measure, Target, Initiative. The Initiative column is where most scorecards fail — this skill checks both directions (objective without initiative, initiative without objective).

What this skill does not do

• Does not select measures — requires select-measures output.
• Does not build or revise the strategy map — reads objectives from build-strategy-map.
• Does not invent baselines — unknown current values → route to measurement first.
• Does not duplicate transformation roadmaps — references transformation items when installed.

Preconditions

Input	If missing
Measures per objective from select-measures	Halt — route to select-measures
Current values for targets (or explicit unknown)	Flag BASELINE NEEDED; do not guess
Practice profile scoring convention	Use profile or tag [PROVISIONAL]

Provisional mode

When current values unknown or initiative portfolio incomplete:

• Set targets only where baseline exists; others flagged BASELINE NEEDED.
• Flag objectives with targets but no initiative as NONE — no engine behind this target.
• Reverse check runs only when user provides initiative portfolio.

Trust spine

• Confidence bands (structured-aggregation):
  • High: Every measure has current→target where baseline known; every objective has ≥1 named initiative or explicit NONE flag; reverse check complete if portfolio provided.
  • Medium: Some baselines missing; initiative names generic but flagged.
  • Low: Scaffold only — measures missing or majority targets invented without data.
• Tag vocabulary: [verify], [review], BASELINE NEEDED, NONE — flagged.
• Failure modes:
  • Strategic advice vs. support: Surfaces unmapped initiatives and overload flags; strategist decides descoping — does not cancel programs unilaterally.
  • Client confidentiality: Targets and initiative names may be sensitive — CONFIDENTIAL header when appropriate.
  • Accountability gap: NONE flags and reverse-check unmapped list prevent wishes-with-numbers passing as strategy.
  • Analytical Rigor: N/A — linkage completeness, not MECE analysis.
  • Incentive Gaming: N/A — no status scoring here.
• Escalation triggers:
  • Objective with target, no initiative → explicit NONE flag; do not silently omit Initiative column.
  • Initiative with no mapped objective → list in REVERSE CHECK for descoping consideration.
  • Many initiatives on one objective → INITIATIVE OVERLOAD flag; suggest split objective or merge initiatives.
  • Generic initiative text ("improve CX") → flag insufficient specificity.