At the halfway point, ask four questions. How far has the number moved compared with how much time has passed? Is the remaining work planned and does it fit the team's capacity? Are the early signals moving? Has anything changed in the business? Then decide: keep going, change the plan, change the target, or drop the goal.
Question 1: Progress vs time
Halfway through the quarter, how much of the gap have you closed?
Example: Setup completion target 41% → 60%. Now at 46%. You have closed 5 of 19 points, about 26%, with 50% of the time gone.
Many goals move slowly at first and faster later, once the work ships. So a slow start is not a failure. But you need a reason to expect the speed-up.
Question 2: Is the remaining work planned and does it fit?
List the work still needed. Estimate it. Compare with the team's real capacity for the rest of the quarter.
| Hours | |
|---|---|
| Remaining work | 420 |
| Capacity left (after meetings, leave, other work) | 300 |
If the work does not fit, the goal will not happen without a change.
Question 3: Are the early signals moving?
Some numbers move before the key result does. For setup completion: are more people opening the new checklist? Are setup tickets falling? If early signals are flat, the plan may be wrong.
Question 4: Has the business changed?
A new priority, a lost customer, a change in the market. A goal that made sense in week one may not now.
The four decisions
| Decision | When |
|---|---|
| Keep going | On pace, or a clear reason to expect a speed-up, and the work fits |
| Change the plan | Goal still right, but the work is not moving it. Try different work. |
| Change the target | Goal right, but the target was too high. Lower it and say why. |
| Drop it | It no longer fits the business. Stop and move the time. |
Write the decision down and tell the team. A changed goal is fine. A goal everyone quietly ignores is not.
See progress and the work together
M-Tracker shows each goal's key results next to the tasks and time linked to it, and the team's remaining capacity. At mid-quarter, you can see whether the work is there to hit the number. No screenshots and no activity tracking.
Make it a habit
A weekly five-minute goal check-in means mid-quarter has no surprises.
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Questions people ask
Is it OK to change a goal mid-quarter?
Yes, with a reason, written down. That is better than pretending.
What if leadership set the goal?
Bring them the four answers and a recommendation. They want to know early.
Work you can trust, without redoing it.
Your team gets feedback before work reaches you, or your client.
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