As we continue our series on Goals — Review, reset, re-envision, realize — we would like to discuss big thinking.
Leadership expert Jim Collins has famously asked managers to define their Big Hairy Audacious Goal, commonly referred to as the BHAG. As a professional just trying to take your company from Point A to Point B, you might wonder why this is necessary. The BHAG is crucial, however, because it forces you to think big. In fact, it forces everyone to think big. Your staff needs it, too. BHAGs are important this week, because after spending the past few days diving deep into your company’s history, it’s time to look ahead.
Collins teaches that a successful business is facilitated by the presence of the BHAG, a shining beacon of light towards which a company is always striving. The knowledge of such a goal, though it seems unattainable, encourages a group of people to crack down in the present to start making it happen. A feeling of urgency, in this case, is a good thing. It makes people work smarter and with more productivity. It gives them something bigger than their supervisor to work for.
Second-tier marketing BHAGs have a place in every company, as well. They should align themselves with the company’s grand vision and serve as a path to get it there. When you consider your company’s grand, Big Hairy Audacious Goal and the marketing strategies you have crafted to go along with it, are you thinking big enough?
If the answer is yes, your mindset for the rest of our goal-setting month is perfect. Lofty goals and big schemes will help you tackle the next phases of the series effectively: goal implementation and long-term company vision.
Image credit: Katherine Lim
(Click here to expand)
