Objective templates are the foundation of how your team creates and manages objectives in Performance Leader. Think of them as moulds that shape each objective alignment, allowing you to add custom questions and inputs that are relevant to specific roles, departments, or types of work. This guide will walk you through creating new templates, adding custom fields, and managing your alignments.
Understanding templates and alignments
Before we dive in, it's helpful to understand the relationship between templates and alignments:
Objective template: This is the mould that defines what information is captured when someone creates an objective. You can add custom questions on top of the default fields.
Alignment: This is what users actually see when they create an objective. Each alignment is sourced from a template.
For example, you might create a partner objective template that includes a question about alignment with the partner charter. All objectives created from that template—whether for business development, client relationships, or other areas—will include that custom question.
Accessing objective templates
Finding your way to the templates area is straightforward:
Go to Manage Apps and select Objectives
Select Configuration & tools
Your existing templates appear in the Priority templates section ("Reusable field sets used when creating strategic priorities")
Deactivated templates can be viewed using the Inactive filter
Creating a new template
When you're ready to create a template for a specific role or type of objective:
Click Add template
A dialogue box will appear asking for basic information
Enter a name for your template (e.g., "Partner objectives" or "Business operations")
Add a description to help others understand when to use this template
Click Save
Your new template is now created, and you can begin customising it with additional fields.
Adding custom fields to a template
Custom fields allow you to capture information that's specific to certain roles or objective types. You'll see two sections where you can add fields:
Top input: Use this if what you're creating is relevant to a plan
Below input: Use this if what you're creating is to be used in an objective form
To create a new field:
Click + New field
Choose from the available field types: - Text input (short form) - Text area (longer form) - Select dropdown (with custom options) - Date input - Radio buttons - Checkboxes
Configure your field with the appropriate label and options
Click Save when you're happy with the field
Important note: These custom inputs are optional. If you don't create any additional fields, the standard Performance Leader fields will apply, which works perfectly well for most organisations.
Enabling and disabling templates
You have full control over which templates are available to users:
Enable a template: Make it available for users to select when creating objectives
Disable a template: Keep it in draft mode whilst you're still working on it, or temporarily remove it from circulation
This is particularly useful when you're setting up new templates and want to test them before rolling them out to your team.
Editing an existing template
Templates can be updated at any time as your needs evolve:
Locate the template you want to modify in your templates list
Click Edit
Make your changes: - Update the name or description - Add, edit, or remove custom fields - Adjust field options or requirements
Click Save to apply your changes
Changes to templates will apply to newly created objectives, but won't affect objectives that have already been created using the previous version.
Deleting a template
If a template is no longer relevant or was created in error:
Click into the template you want to remove
Click Delete
Confirm the deletion
The template will be permanently removed from your system. Be cautious with this action—make sure no one is actively using the template before deleting it.
Best practices for objective templates
To get the most out of your templates:
Start simple: Begin with one or two templates and add more as you identify specific needs
Keep it relevant: Only add custom fields that capture genuinely useful information for that role or objective type
Use clear language: Make sure field labels and descriptions are easy to understand
Test before rolling out: Disable templates whilst you're still refining them, then enable when ready
Review regularly: Revisit your templates periodically to ensure they still meet your organisation's needs
Need more help?
If you have questions about setting up templates for your specific needs, click the support beacon in the bottom right to search for relevant resources, or set up a call with your CSM.