05/08/2025

When You’re Asked to Meet Impossible Goals

Change is no longer an occasional disruption but a constant

John, the CRO of a private equity-backed tech company, faced mounting pressure to meet sky-high sales targets tied to an acquisition. He knew the goals he was given were unachievable. Saying yes risked burnout and failure; saying no risked his credibility.

It wasn’t just the sales targets. His company was undergoing multiple changes at once: shifting to a SaaS model, rolling out a new CRM, restructuring teams, and enforcing a return-to-office mandate.

John’s dilemma is now common. Change is no longer an occasional disruption but a constant. Employees are now experiencing five times more planned change initiatives than they did just a decade ago. Add unrealistic goals, and the result is predictable: disengagement, burnout and a sharp decline in execution—in short, widespread change fatigue.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Harvard Business Review.