Building on the momentum from our 2026 JMP Company Kickoff, I want to follow up on the strategic vision shared by CEO Jon Weisz. Jon’s emphasis on our collective goals sets the stage for the year ahead, and when paired with the JMP goals and initiatives for 2026 on InsideJMP, we have a clear blueprint for success. These communications lay the essential groundwork for what JMP, our departments, and each of us individually aim to achieve throughout 2026.
Goal setting is not just a corporate exercise; it guides us forward throughout the year. When we align our personal targets with JMP and SAS-wide priorities, we ensure that every individual effort moves the needle for the entire organization. Clear, actionable goals keep us agile, motivated, and accountable as we navigate the year ahead.
Business goals: Staying aligned in Workday
To ensure our collective performance aligns with our strategic vision, we will continue to use Workday for all business-related goals. Once you sync with your manager on these goals, please finalize and input your 2026 business goals into Workday by March 31.
Remember, your goals should align with JMP departmental objectives and SAS’s strategic goals. Use the 2026 JMP goals and initiatives as a guide to ensure your mapping is accurate.
Your 2025 goals will be archived in Q2, so ensure you’ve reviewed any closing notes from last year.
Development goals: Your growth in PLATO
While business goals drive the company, development goals drive you. We are now fully integrated into PLATO, SAS’s dedicated development planning ecosystem.
As a reminder, development goals do not auto-transfer from Workday. If you haven't yet made the switch, you will need to manually migrate existing goals or establish new ones within the PLATO interface.
The PLATO platform helps personalize action plans, enabling you to build a roadmap tailored to your career trajectory. PLATO also helps you access high-level training resources designed to close skill gaps.
For a full walkthrough of the platform’s features, visit the PLATO SharePoint site.
Connecting personal growth to professional impact
It’s helpful to view business goals and development goals as a partnership.
Our business goals focus on JMP’s growth, profitability, and sustainability, while development goals hone your personal skill set and professional fulfillment. Your development goals should be the "engine" that helps you achieve your business goals.
Example: A Software Engineer’s business goal might be to deploy a specific feature by Q3. Their development goal might be to master a new programming framework or improve peer-review efficiency. By sharpening the skill (development), the engineer more effectively hits the target (business).
Looking ahead
SAS has released a new Q1 Goal Setting eLearning course. This 30-minute course is available to individual contributors and managers via SABA. The course covers why you need to have a goal-setting conversation, why goals matter, how to set goals at SAS, how to execute on goals at SAS, and where to find resources to help you and your team. For a refresher on crafting high-impact goals, see the attached SMART Goals PDF.
Our success in 2026 is a collective effort. Whether you’re refining your technical expertise in PLATO or hitting key milestones in Workday, your contributions are what keep JMP at the forefront of the industry.
If you need a hand navigating the tools or defining your targets, your JMP HR team is ready to support you. Let’s make 2026 our most impactful year yet.
