Think Big, Step By Step

In my last missive, I challenged you to think big, to set high goals and expectations for the future of your company. But it’s not enough to write down a lofty vision and expansive targets, pat yourselves on the back for your courage, and wait for great results to appear.

Too often organizations create a wonderful vision and set high targets without much thought about how to ensure they hit the targets and turn the vision into reality. They do a poor job breaking a long and often changing path down into the rocks that must be put in place to build it, rock by rock. Each rock attached to one and only one person accountable for its execution with a strict due date and specific and easily measurable metrics of completion.

To succeed in achieving your 10-year goal, you need to start at the end and work backwards. Pick the date and then ask yourself: where do we have to be in 3 years so we’re positioned properly for the rest of the journey? What does it look like? As you answer these questions, you need to set specific revenue, profit, geography, acquisitions and other similar metrics.

Then, jump back a bit more. Determine where you have to be in 1 year. What are the 6 or 7 big goals you need to accomplish? Think big, but think simply. Don’t come up with 20 or 30 goals, but only the most critical things required for you to be well on your way.

It’s tough to do as at first everything seems important. But if everything’s important, nothing is important. Get in the habit of always prioritizing. Once you have the 6 or 7 most important goals identified, set who is accountable for each goal and the metrics they have to achieve.

Backing up further, what do you have to accomplish in the next 90 days? Again, not 20 or 30 things but the 6 or 7 most critical things that need to be completed before the next quarter begins. Use your new skill in prioritizing to hone in on those that will have the biggest impact. Establish who is accountable for placing each rock in place as you build the path. That is, who is accountable for completing each goal and ensuring the specific metrics are achieved.

When the quarter ends, go through the same process for the quarter to come. Set the next group of 90 day goals and the 6 or 7 most important things you have to accomplish. Rock by rock build the path, finding new rocks every 90 days as you move forward and conditions change.

Each rock represents a critical piece in the journey. It is, simply stated, owned by someone, and carefully set in place, one by one as you carefully build the path leading to the vision guiding you forward.

Remember: keep it simple. Write it all in a couple of pages. Set specific metrics for completion of each goal. Totally completed…98% done is not done. Be tough in order to stay on track. As you move forward you’ll get better at defining what needs to be done and at bringing every goal to completion as scheduled.

That’s it. Think big. Create the vision and the metrics that define successful completion. Plan the path that takes you to your vision, rock by rock. No huge strategic plans that no one reads and that are impossible to understand and follow. Just simply stated critical goals with full accountability that step-by-step lead you with complete focus toward that shining future.

Before too long, like my clients in the last missive, Think Big, you too will be laughing as you realize the vision that originally seemed so huge is well on it’s way to completion…a few years early.