After 18 years in tech, from NOC Engineer at Lockheed Martin to senior engineering roles, I’ve learned that goal setting isn’t just about ticking boxes on a performance review. It’s about strategic thinking that separates senior engineers from the pack. Here’s how to approach it properly.
The Problem with Traditional Goal Setting
Most engineers fall into one of two traps:
- Setting vague goals like “improve coding skills” or “learn new technologies”
- Treating goals as a checkbox exercise for their manager
This is the engineering equivalent of implementing a feature without considering scale, maintenance, or customer impact. Let’s fix that.
Think Like a Senior Engineer
Senior engineers don’t just write code – they solve business problems. Your goals should reflect this mindset. Here’s my framework:
1. Impact Metrics First
Before writing a single goal, answer these questions:
- How many users will this impact?
- What’s the revenue or cost savings potential?
- How does this affect system reliability/performance?
A junior engineer might say “Implement database migration to BigQuery.” A senior engineer says “Reduce query latency by 40% and cut storage costs by $50K/month through BigQuery migration.”
2. Non-Functional Requirements Matter
Don’t forget the unsexy but critical goals:
- Security improvements
- System reliability targets
- Technical debt reduction
- Performance optimization
These often have more impact than flashy new features. I’ve seen entire teams get derailed because they ignored these fundamentals.
3. Automate Everything
For every project goal, add an automation goal. Ask yourself:
- What manual processes can I eliminate?
- How can I make the next person’s job easier?
- What repeatable tasks are wasting team time?
4. Uplift Others
The best engineers are multipliers. Set explicit goals around:
- Mentoring junior engineers
- Creating documentation
- Recording technical deep-dives
- Improving team processes
Remember: your impact scales dramatically when you help others improve.
Making It Concrete
Here’s what bad versus good goals look like:
Bad Goal: “Learn Kubernetes and improve our deployment process”
Good Goal: “Reduce deployment failures by 50% and cut deploy time from 45 to 15 minutes by implementing automated Kubernetes deployments. Create runbook and train 3 team members on the new process by Q2.”
The Reality Check
Review your goals and ask:
- Can I measure this?
- Does this improve our business metrics?
- Will this make the team more effective?
- Is this actually achievable in 6 months?
The Bottom Line
Your goals shouldn’t just be about what you’ll do – they should be about what will change because of what you do. That’s the difference between coding and engineering.
Remember: as you become more senior, your manager won’t set these goals for you. You need to think strategically about where you can create the most value. Start practicing now.
What are your thoughts on goal setting? How do you approach it differently at your level? Drop me a comment – I’d love to hear your perspective.