setting targets

Meanings

1. 1phrase

   The activity of deciding on specific results or levels that you aim to reach.

   Grammar: Used as a noun phrase: it can be the subject or object of a sentence.

   Patterns

   • setting targets for someone
   • setting targets for something
   • setting targets to do something

   Setting targets at the start of the year helps the whole team stay focused.

   The manager spends every January setting targets for each department.

   Setting targets that are too high can make people give up.

2. 2phrasebusinessfinance

   Choosing particular figures or amounts that a business or person tries to achieve.

   Grammar: Often followed by 'for' plus the person, group, or thing being measured.

   Patterns

   • setting targets for sales
   • setting targets for growth
   • setting targets for a company

   The board is setting targets for sales growth next quarter.

   Setting targets for customer satisfaction is harder than counting profits.

   They are setting targets for each store based on last year's numbers.

Common combinations

setting targets for something

Setting targets for monthly sales keeps the shop on track.

setting ambitious targets

The new director is setting ambitious targets for the whole region.

setting clear targets

Setting clear targets means everyone knows what success looks like.

setting unrealistic targets

Setting unrealistic targets can damage morale.

setting targets in advance

Setting targets in advance makes the review meeting much easier.

Synonyms and how they differ

goal-setting

A more formal noun for the whole process; it sounds better in academic or official writing than the plain phrase.

planning

Broader and vaguer; it covers deciding how to do things, while 'setting targets' is only about choosing the numbers or results to aim for.

benchmarking

Focuses on comparing your results with a standard or a competitor, not on deciding the target in the first place.

Word family

target noun

The result or figure you are trying to reach.

target verb

To aim at or choose something as a goal.

targeted adjective

Aimed at a particular group or purpose.

Commonly confused: setting targets or setting goals?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “setting targets”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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