💡 Our Technical Review in summary
- Microsoft is updating the Microsoft Viva Glint focus area experience by transitioning from “goal periods” to “survey cycles.”
- This change is designed to align employee feedback actions directly with specific survey insights, simplifying the reporting process and improving how organizations track progress.
- This update is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 498922 and is currently available following its General Availability rollout.
#### Impact
- Organizational Structure: Focus areas will now be linked to specific survey cycles rather than independent goal periods.
- Feature Retirement: The “goal periods” functionality has been retired and replaced by this new cycle-based logic.
- Data Retention: No focus areas will be deleted. Any focus areas that are not currently linked to an active survey cycle (e.g., if a cycle was previously deleted) will be preserved and labeled as “No survey cycle.”
- Default Setting: This update is enabled by default for all Viva Glint environments; there is no opt-in or opt-out toggle.
- Reporting: Users will now be able to generate reports on focus areas based on specific survey cycles, providing better context for feedback-driven improvements.
#### Action Required
- User Communication: Notify Glint users, HR partners, and managers about the shift from goal periods to survey cycles to ensure they understand how to track their focus areas.
- Documentation Update: Review and update internal training manuals, SOPs, or help guides that reference “goal periods” in the context of Viva Glint.
- No Technical Configuration: IT Admins do not need to perform any backend configuration or manual migration, as the transition is handled automatically by the platform.
Microsoft Official Update
Service: N/A
Category: planForChange
Severity: normal
Updated January 27, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
Introduction
We’re introducing enhancements to the focus area experience in Viva Glint to improve how organizations track and act on employee feedback. With this update, focus areas will now be tied to survey cycles, and goal periods will be retired. This change simplifies reporting and aligns focus areas more closely with survey insights.
This update is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 498922.
When this will happen
General availability: We are pleased to announce this feature is now available.
How this affects your organization
After the update, focus areas will be organized by survey cycle instead of goal periods. Glint users will be able to create and report on focus areas based on survey cycles. Goal periods will be retired. Focus areas not linked to a survey cycle (for example, if the cycle has been deleted) will be labeled No survey cycle and remain accessible in the platform. No focus areas will be deleted as part of this change. This update will be enabled by default.
What you can do to prepare
- No admin action is required for the transition, but we recommend communicating this change to Glint users in your organization.
- Review and update any internal documentation or training materials that reference goal periods.
Compliance considerations
No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.
