Starting the year without a plan is like setting sail and taking off the harbor. Only a few months later when the storm hits to look at the map. Bad idea!
Not sure how about you, but I’ve failed consistently with company goal setting.
Hit X million dollars by April 1? Grow the user base by Y% MoM?
I’ve tried SMART goals. OKRs. I came up with my own frameworks too. And those goals just never hit the mark for me.
But it wasn’t the frameworks that didn’t work for my teams.
It’s that we skipped crucial steps needed before goal-setting even begins.
Specifically, goals without a STORY don’t click.
Why do we want to increase revenue or get more users? Ask your teammates or employees this question followed by a couple of “why?” and I bet you they’ll get stuck.
This year, I used Gino Wickman’s Vision / Traction Organizer.
It’s just two pages: vision and traction.
Traction is what every organization already does. It has annual goals, quarterly rocks (projects), and an issues list with things that hold you back.
The vision page is the gold that almost all companies skip!
Here is what’s inside:
CORE FOCUS.
It defines the purpose, cause, or passion of the business - “why it exists.” And its niche - “what it does best.”
10-YEAR TARGET.This is a long-term, massive, ambitious goal that serves as a point of focus for the entire organization. It's meant to motivate and provide a clear direction for the future.
CORE VALUES.
Identifies the fundamental values that define the company's culture. This one is a bit tricky for young early-stage companies.
MARKETING STRATEGY.
This is whom you help and your unique selling proposition. You gotta do something different or better than the rest of the world.
I think that most companies don’t have that “vision” page for a reason.
They either don’t actually know what they want and are unwilling to do the intellectual heavy lifting.
OR they think that all that strategy stuff is a distraction, they are too early and there is more important stuff to do.
If you’ve failed to set effective company goals like me and follow them throughout the year consistently, I highly recommend you to try out Vision / Traction Organizer.
Let’s rock and roll 2024!