Baseline and Target
Definition
A baseline and target is the pairing that makes a goal measurable: the value a metric holds at the moment the goal is set (the baseline) and the value it should reach by the deadline (the target). Written together as 'from X to Y', they establish both the distance to be traveled and the basis on which the result can later be graded.
A baseline is read from actual data when the goal is written, not estimated afterwards, and it is recorded with its source and date. A target without one cannot be scored: 'reach 500 signups' describes a very different quarter starting from 480 than from 50. Noisy metrics also need a measurement window stated up front, since a single strong week of 4.1% may sit against a trailing twelve-week average of 3.6%.
The baseline is where most goals are quietly bent. Choosing a flattering starting week, redefining the metric partway through the cycle, or fixing the baseline only after the work is already underway each produce a result that scores well without anything having genuinely changed. Written down at kickoff with its source and the date it was read, the baseline stops being negotiable when scoring week arrives and the gap is uncomfortable.
Example
Weak: 'Reduce churn.' Stronger: 'Reduce monthly logo churn from 2.3% to 1.5% by 31 December, measured as a trailing 3-month average from billing.' Landing at 1.9% scores (2.3 - 1.9) / (2.3 - 1.5) = 0.50.
See also: scorecard software