Define Your Goals

It’s better to have direction than speed. I have seen many projects start without clearly defined goals. There are thousands of books out there on how to write clear and concise goals, ​​how to write pitches, how to put together value propositions, how to assess ideas, etc. However, notice the common thread here: how. The hard, and often neglected part of goal-defining moves way beyond how by inviting in (with an open mind) the why and what, and the who. These essential factors require you to work out your biases and see your idea in comparison to what else is out there (your competition).   Here’s an example. I have had clients say they want to be the ‘thought leader’ on a given topic.  However, they have not identified why they want this mantel, nor have they fleshed out what efforts and resources it would take to become acknowledged as a thought leader.  The goal-defining process is essential to the completion of a quality project. This first step should be collaborative and open-minded, and must account equally for two audiences in order to be successful: your company and your client.  “Management professor Paul C Nutt observed that half of the decisions in an organization fail. One main reason is that managers often define problems in a way that already points to a particular solution- which is often not the best one. Nutt suggests that managers should “open up the decision process to new possibilities” and “carry out an unrestricted search for solutions” instead of narrowly defining problems with an early biased towards a particular solution.” (Sternad, 2021) By taking a creative problem-solving approach to defining your goals, your project will be equipped with the necessary tools for success from the beginning. Here are my steps for effective goal-defining that will help you properly align project goals with your company’s vision: 
  1. Create a thesis that outlines your objective – This can be used as a starting point for discussion, testing, and iteration from both external and internal stakeholders.  
    1. From an end-customer perspective
    2. From an internal company value perspective  
  2. Identify the present state of the ecosystem
    1. Why is the world currently solving the problem a certain way?
    2. What are their most important goals in maintaining the status quo?
  3. Identify the potential future state of the ecosystem
    1. What would need to (globally) change for your solution to displace the status quo?
    2. How might the incumbent(s) see things differently?
    3. Why should you be the change agent?
    4. What is the timeframe for changing the ecosystem?
Successful problem-solving requires an iterative process that is repeatable. All ideas need time and space to mature, no matter the industry. What I’ve found is that it can be difficult to truly flesh out an idea from the inside out. It’s human nature to approach topics with natural bias and subjectivity. But by keeping an objective, open mind when assessing your thesis from the very beginning stages, your project will have a stronger opportunity for success at each next phase. A productive problem statement:
  1. What are you trying to achieve? 
  2. Who will care about your capability or issue? 
  3. Why this will be important to the people you are talking with 
  4. When you should (and should not) engage the target audiences. 
Answering these questions through a structured process will provide a roadmap fundamental to achieving success.  As a consultant to corporations and government agencies, my job is to lead teams in developing and executing growth strategies that balance targeted M&A, internal R&D, and innovation to expand market share and maximize business development efforts. I serve as that (essential) unbiased, third-party analyzer of ideas and theses. My mission is to help set your project up for success by coaching your team through each phase of development using my proven process. If you’re interested in learning more, contact me here and let’s see what we can do together.

About The Author

Adrienne Ramsay is an experienced senior executive with two decades of experience in government and the private sector.  She has held leadership roles in government, the aerospace and defense sector, and start-up technology firms. She has a proven track-record advising and leading teams to develop programs and processes that foster creativity and problem-solving within large and complex organizations.