What Are "Stretch" Goals?

By suggesting that you add "stretch," your manager is suggesting that you are not setting challenging goals. They are easily reached because they either reflect the same level of performance over the last few years or demand minimal performance on the employee’s part. Of course, the more "stretch" you put into an objective, the more resistance you may encounter from an employee. Don’t let this discourage you from setting goals with some challenge. Your manager has a point in suggesting you put "stretch" in objectives set. Just be sure that the stretch is realistic. Too much stretch means that objectives won’t be feasible, and employees won’t even try to achieve them.