Goal Setting
Setting the right goal matters more than optimizing the strategy used to reach it.
The idea
No amount of strategy will help, if we set the wrong goal. Good strategy will only help us get to the wrong goal faster.
Strategy, execution speed, and discipline are all downstream of the goal itself. A team can plan meticulously and still fail, because none of that changes whether the destination was the right one.
When to use it
- Before committing resources to a new initiative
- When execution is going well but outcomes still disappoint
- During planning, before locking in tactics
How to apply it
- Write the goal in one sentence and ask “why this goal, not another?”
- Check it against a higher-level purpose it should serve.
- Only after the goal survives that scrutiny, move on to strategy.
Watch out for
- Mistaking activity and fast execution for the right outcome.
- Goals borrowed from peers or industry norms without checking fit.
- Only questioning the goal after failure, rather than before committing resources.
Related models
- SMART Goals — a framework for making a chosen goal specific and actionable.
- North Star — anchoring goals to a single overarching objective.
- First Things First — deciding which goals deserve priority before attacking them.