Goals and strategy are often misinterpreted as the same thing.
A business goal is the overall desired outcome that an organization outlines and is achieved
over a specific period of time. They are an essential part of the planning process and allows you
to have measurements for each person within the company based on achievement. They
provide a focus for your efforts and a direction for your teams.
A strategy is the systematic approach you will take in order to reach your goals.
This is all about what your company is and isn’t going to do, the organizational structure
required for the activities clearly defined, and the overall objectives set in incremental time
frames.
Goal-based strategic planning takes the clearly defined specific goals and builds a roadmap
around it with key indicators for success along the way.
Goals tend to be more abstract but when aligned with a strategic plan everything becomes
clear, succinct, easily communicated and measured.
One similarity is that if both a goal and a strategy is not written down, it does not exist, at least
not to the rest of your organization. There is a fantastic quote from Francis Bacon, an english
Author and Philosopher that sums this up succinctly
“Reading makes a full man, discussion a ready man and writing an exact man.”
A company without goals or a strategic plan will lack focus and direction. You as the leader of
that company may feel like you are managing a band of pirates – lacking morale, a clear
understanding of their roles, they will be disrespectful and doing whatever they want whenever
they feel like it.
You as a leader will lack clarity and thus your confidence for the growth and sustainability of
your company will be massively reduced. Resources will not be properly allocated, meaning you
are probably leaking money all over the place. And you will feel exhausted just trying to hold it all together.
The best time and financial investment you can make right now is to work with a coach or
consultant to help you set and define your goals and develop a strategic plan for your company.
Get in touch with me today to help you implement that immediately.
