Suksessmål

Suksessmål is a term used in Norwegian-speaking management contexts to describe goals or indicators that define success for a project, program, or organization. The word combines suksess (success) and mål (goal or target) and is used to refer to clearly defined, measurable outcomes that can be tracked over time and evaluated against pre-set criteria.

In practice, suksessmål function as the concrete targets that teams strive to achieve and that leaders monitor to gauge performance. They are typically aligned with an organization's strategy and are formulated to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (often in line with SMART principles). Suksessmål are commonly expressed as numerical targets or pass/fail criteria, and they can be used at different levels, from strategic objectives to project milestones.

Examples of suksessmål include: in business, a certain percentage increase in revenue, market share, or customer satisfaction; in education, mastery of defined competencies or exam pass rates; in public services, reduced waiting times or improved cost efficiency; in product development, time-to-market or defect rates.

Suksessmål are closely related to concepts such as key performance indicators (KPIs) and objectives and key results (OKRs). They serve as a basis for performance reviews, reporting, and decision making. Critics caution that overemphasis on metrics can distort priorities or lead to gaming of targets if not carefully designed and validated.