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Does Your BHAG Make Your Team Yawn Or Gulp?

By Ryan Walcott

dateTue, Feb 28, 2012 @ 02:36 PM

My team has been living our core value to "Keep Smart" by reviewing some foundational articles on business strategy.  Last week's was "Building Your Company's Vision" by Collins and Porras.
In the article they discuss the need for a Big Hairy Audacious Goal.  A 10-30 year ambitious plan that revs up the entire organization and gives them a mission to focus on to achieve.

I have read the article before, but this time a key section struck me.  They write that "To create an effective envisioned future requires a certain level of unreasonable confidence and commitment."
The emphasis on the word unreasonable is mine.  

He goes on to say that "the envisioned future should produce a bit of the "gulp factor":  when it dawns on people what it will take to achieve the goal, there should be an almost audible gulp."

This struck me as one good test for a BHAG.  When you communicate your BHAG to your staff, what is their response?  A yawn or an audible Gulp?

Does communicating and discussing your BHAG energize your team with a fearful excitement of what it will take to achieve it and the amazing results if you do?

Or do you yawn about it as it sits on the shelf as another artifact from a mundane business exercise you did at a retreat way back when?

Talk about your BHAG often with your staff.  Keep thinking on it and working to refine it until you hear that "audible gulp" from your staff.  That gulp factor is a good indication you have a good BHAG.

Please share your comments and stories about great BHAGs.  Knowledge sharing builds the community.  :-)
 
Free Guide:  3 Steps to Create Your BHAG

Ryan Walcott

 

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