Buzzword Adjectives & Filler · Vice President level

"Move the goalposts"

"Move the goalposts" means to change the success criteria or requirements after work has already begun, making it harder to reach the original objective.

Say this instead: change the target

How "Move the goalposts" shows up at work

Almost always said by the person whose goalposts were moved, never by the person who moved them. Surfaces in retrospectives and status calls when the team has hit every milestone and still somehow not finished. The frustration in the phrase is the whole point.

Buzzword

Every time we hit the target, leadership seems to move the goalposts on us.

Plain English

Every time we hit the target, leadership seems to change the target on us.

Corporate Rank: Vice President · Category: Buzzword Adjectives & Filler

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