Of all the possible training topics that can improve leadership skills and toxic work environments, one might surprise you. Teaching leaders how to communicate and manage conflict makes sense. But what about goal setting?

Your leaders may be familiar with setting SMART goals, but do they know how to balance measurable and unmeasurable goals?

Many organizations need a better balance between measurable (quantitative) and unmeasurable (qualitative) goals. As a result, leaders—and the people they lead—can’t say for sure where they’re going or work well together to get there.

So, what’s the difference between quantitative and qualitative goals, and why is it important? Let’s take a look:

Quantitative vs. Qualitative Goals

Quantitative goals are the things you measure, the metrics or the “how.” Usually, these numbers track changes in things like ratings, revenue, expenses, usage, and participation. But if you only set quantitative goals, they can become an end in themselves. It’s easy to lose track of why you do what you do and whether you’re measuring the right things.

Qualitative goals are the end product of asking “why” you do what you do. If you ask why you send emails and, ultimately, why the organization exists, you’ll eventually come to important benefits for yourself, your customers, or a community. But if you only set qualitative goals, it’s difficult to organize a team and know whether you’re making progress.

4-Step Pattern for Setting How & Why Goals

If you want to develop high-impact leadership within your organization, teach your leaders the following goal-setting pattern that balances “how” and “why.” The pattern has four steps:

1. Find the real “why.”

To begin the goal-setting process, have individual team members review what they do during their workday and ask “why?” Why do I send these emails? Why am I creating this graphic? Why am I organizing that project? For each answer, ask why again, and continue until you can’t think of another reason behind an answer. When you get to this point, you’ve likely found your root “why”—your qualitative goal.

A good “why” feels inspiring. It gives meaning to work, and meaning is an essential human need. Solid qualitative goals describe a benefit to some specific group. They give people a reason to work together.

2. Find the metrics that matter.

Once you have your “why,” you need a metric—a way to measure your progress. Some metrics have a direct relationship to the outcome. A city working on public safety can track violent crime statistics. Other metrics are indirectly correlated. A library working on adult literacy might track participation in an ESL program.

Next, you need a clear way to track your metric over time. Consistent data collection is key. If leaders don’t understand the information’s value, they may view the process as a distraction from “real” work and not follow through. To help ensure consistency, teach leaders that healthy teams require real accountability—and how metrics show teams when they’re winning. Just be sure each metric ties back to a qualitative goal.

3. Choose your experiments.

Leaders need to understand that every deliverable, task, and project is an experiment in what will move the metrics that matter. It’s hard to know whether specific actions will make a difference. The question for every healthy team is this:

To the best of our knowledge, what’s the best way to [increase/reduce] [metric you care about]?

Some leaders are afraid to track metrics because they fear failures will discourage the team. The opposite is true. When teams learn to approach every action as an experiment, the outcome is learning. Every failed experiment gets you one step closer to what will work.

4. Evaluate your results.

Metrics give you a way to learn what works and what doesn’t. Well-trained leaders know that with thoughtful experimentation, they will eventually find what works. Then, they can optimize it.

They will also realize that some efforts won’t influence the metrics that matter. Paying attention to results helps leaders avoid setting goals to optimize something that shouldn’t be done in the first place.

Teaching leaders to balance “how” and “why” goals is key to establishing a thriving workplace culture.