Friday's Growth
Inspiration

There is an ongoing debate in strategy circles – should we set strategic goals first and then define a strategy to determine how we ‘get there’ or should we rather set the strategy first and use goals as a bridge into implementation – into unpacking what the strategy demands of us and where we should focus next? The traditional approach, whether we follow a business planning process, a balanced scorecard or even OKR’s is that to set smart objectives, we need a coherent strategy. Goals, in contrast to a purpose statement or a vision, which focus on the ‘Why’, help bring the strategy into clear and implementable terms.

So is it case closed then or has the debate re-opened in the uncertain environment in which we find ourselves? What we find in our work is that the relationship between strategic goals and strategy is more dynamic than may appear at first glance. And this has important implications for our ability to execute at speed and at scale.

In a world in which we need to innovate, often facing a gap between our aspiration and execution outcomes, strategic goals introduced as part of the strategy definition process, can help challenge the current business strategy, not merely to confirm it. Such goals may highlight where execution of the strategy could put the business at risk or where new ways of executing are needed, to close this gap. In short, the best goals evolve as the strategy (and the practicalities of how we intend to execute on it) take shape.

Strategic goals, in this environment, are not merely a mechanistic outcome, a necessary ticking of the box, but rather a way to sense-check the options which the strategy provides, they make us think (long and hard) about how execution would take place and how we’d know that we are navigating in the direction we seek. Ready to set some new goals? That is often a good place to find ourselves in…at the outset!

Have a good weekend everyone!

Saar Ben-Attar (A Connector Beyond Limits)