# Target

The specific value a metric is meant to reach.

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.

### Commonly confused

A metric or a KPI. A metric is what you measure; a target is the specific value you commit to reaching.

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[View this page on the website](https://getconductor.com/glossary/target) · Last updated: 2026-08-04