Performance Management
What’s the Alternative to Viva Goals (now it’s being retired)?
Microsoft has announced that Viva Goals will be retired on December 31, 2025, due to limited adoption and usage across its customer base.
This article gives our theory on why it’s being retired, the alternatives you might look at, including an alternative that is also built for Microsoft 365 (and why that matters).
What is Viva Goals?
Launched in August 2022 after Microsoft’s acquisition of Ally.io, Viva Goals uses something called OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) to set clear goals and track progress. In theory, this means everyone knows what they are working towards and how their efforts fit into the bigger picture with capabilities that include the ability to:
- Define and track OKRs to ensure alignment with organisational goals.
- Visualise progress using dashboards and reports.
- Collaborate effectively by embedding OKRs directly into tools like Teams for real-time updates and discussions.
- Drive accountability by linking OKRs to measurable outcomes and fostering transparency across the organisation.
Why Was It Potentially a Great Solution?
As you should know by now, we are huge fans of solutions that build on your investment in Microsoft 365. Not just from a technical and licencing perspective, but also from the ‘human nature’ factor:
In short, anything that automatically ‘pops up’ at the relevant points and/or is directly integrated with the applications that are used day in – day out (such as Microsoft Teams), is more likely to get user engagement and therefore be more successful.
This is because it eliminates the need for users to make a conscious effort to switch into a different platform or application to access them.
So, in theory, Viva Goals should have offered this huge advantage, but still, it failed to get traction.
Why is Viva Goals being Retired?
Having worked in the Microsoft arena for eons (Essential was one of the first Microsoft Partners to be established in the UK back in 1994), we’ve seen this pattern quite a few times:
Microsoft identifies a gap, acquires a ready-made solution, rebrands it, launches it, makes a few adjustments, and then encounters challenges with user adoption.
The reality is that some challenges require more than just technology being thrown at them. Workforce development and goal setting are prime examples.
In addition to needing robust solutions developed by subject matter experts, success in this arena requires a people-centric approach to driving results, coupled with a great support service.
Equally important is a support and professional services team that not only understand the technical aspects of the solution but also the broader organisational and developmental context in which it operates.
What are the Alternatives to Viva Goals?
For organisations currently using Viva Goals, Microsoft recommends exploring third-party OKR tools as alternatives.
Good alternatives to Viva Goals include Profit.co, Peoplebox, Asana and Lattice. You can read more here on this comparison page from Gartner:
https://www.gartner.com/reviews/market/okr-software/vendor/microsoft/product/viva-goals/alternatives
If, however, you like the idea of a solution that is specifically built for your Microsoft 365 ecosystem (with all the benefits that this entails) then you may wish to check out Perform365.
Perform365 is a performance management solution that helps employees and managers set goals, track progress, and provide feedback.
It’s part of the Human Success platform from our partner, Zensai, that includes sophisticated solutions for learning management, employee engagement and performance management.
The key feature of all Zensai’s products is that they fully leverage the Microsoft 365 Outlook, Teams and SharePoint platforms, in the case of Perform365 to deliver goal setting and professional development ‘in the flow of work’. They also take full advantage of your Microsoft infrastructure, such as built-in security, user groups, access rights, and, of course, your existing skills in Microsoft technologies.
If you’re heavily invested in Microsoft 365, make sure you put Perform 365 on your hit list as an alternative to Viva Goals.
See Perform365 in action
Book a demo with our team today.