A couple of weeks ago, we talked BHAGs. Let’s go back to that today as we explore tools for goal realization.
We’re coming to the end of our month long look at goal setting, and we need to keep the company endgame in mind. The BHAG. Dedicate 30 minutes today to think about the future version of your company. Really consider the details, and don’t be shy. Get specific. Who works there? What is company culture like? How different is your work at that point than it is in the present moment?
Write those visions down, as a promise to yourself and to the company, and to begin the process of making them real. Next, work backwards from your BHAG to create an action plan. This is the practical step that has the potential to enact progress more than anything else. Starting with the end goal in mind, create a set of necessary steps to get there. Where is the company one year before the goal is reached? Two years before? Keep moving backwards, visualizing checkpoints, until you reach the present day.
Take the checkpoints you visualized and make them into an actionable list. This is the roadmap to help you reach your BHAG.
The final step to success is to share your roadmap with your mentors and trusted advisors. Talk it through with them, so they can support you and hold you accountable as you lead the company into the future. Check in with this support system on a quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis to keep track of your progress — and more importantly, to provide yourself with that encouraging boost to keep going, keep checking milestones off the list.
While exploring the roadmap to your BHAG, don’t forget to share it with your team! By doing so, you will provide them with a clear vision of why they do what they do each day — and a vision to work towards. Together, you and your colleagues will take your company straight to your BHAG.
Image credit: GreenLantern33
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