A target is the specific value a metric is meant to hit — "reduce cycle time to 5 days," "reach 90% adoption." It converts a measurement into a commitment by fixing the level that counts as success.
A target is distinct from the metric it constrains and from the frameworks that organize it. The metric is what is measured; the target is the value to reach; a KPI is a metric important enough to track against its target; and an OKR is the goal-setting structure in which targets often sit. Confusing the target with the metric leaves teams measuring without a defined finish line.
