Ban BHAGs Now

Have you ever been part of an organization that was on fire? If you have, then you know first-hand that a fast-growing organization hardly ever sets pie-in-the-sky goals. They’re not even thinking about the future. They don’t have time. Instead, they are working hard to respond to the demands and opportunities that are right in front of them. At some point, they’ll probably have a big meeting, call in a consultant, hire a COO, or do something in order to help them create a strategy to get them from here to there. But “there” isn’t the focus. Their attention and resources are zeroed in on right here and right now. 

So how come, when organizations are sputtering and stuck, leaders tend do the opposite? What makes them think that by tossing down a gigantic challenge or casting their own gynormous vision, they will be able to motivate people into working harder or more effectively? For example:

• We’re going to eliminate poverty in our city in ten years! 
• We’re going to transform 50% of our congregations in the next five years! 
• At least 10% of the people in our organization will be people of color (one day)! 

Ok, maybe that last one isn’t exactly a gynormous goal. But it has, for the (still) almost all-white Mainline Protestant denomination that set it twenty years ago, proved unreachable. As have all the other mongo-sized goals we’ve watched leaders set over the past couple of decades. In fact, what these goals have produced are a bunch of people who are more discouraged and cynical than ever, and organizations that are declining at even faster rates. 

Jim Collins and his team did a great disservice to a lot of people when they wrote in their 1997 book Built to Last that people need BHAGs (big, hairy, audacious goals) to produce growth. We believed them. A lot of people did. But, since then, researchers have discovered the opposite is often true. (See, for example, the 2009 working paper by the folks at Harvard Business School called "Goals Gone Wild!") 

Unreachable goals in a corporate setting, where you can fire people who don’t meet them, lead people to make unethical decisions and take dangerous risks (think “Enron”). In other settings, they just make us sad. And sad people aren’t very creative or motivated, are they? 

Look no further than Vancouver for an example of a BHAG gone horribly wrong. Did you see the US-Canada hockey game? You did if you’re a Canadian. Time magazine reported yesterday: “For Canada, the pain from the game was searing. ‘Canada’s national angst meter is running at full power now,’ says Doug Eberhardt, a Vancouver sports-radio personality.” 

Prior to these Olympic Winter Games, Canada was the only nation in the world ever to have gone without a gold medal when they were hosting the Games. And they managed to do it – twice. This time corporate and government leaders said no more. This time, they declared, we are going to “Own the podium!” --- grab more medals than anyone else. Their goal was 30. But with only 6 days left, Canada had won only 10 medals. And the goal, which is now numerically impossible to achieve, seems in the view of many “quaint at best, stupid at worst.” One Canadian fan from Calgary told Time: “The expectations are just way too high. It created a monster.” 

If you’re a leader in an organization that is struggling, we know you mean well. But resist the urge to rally the troops with your vision of some big hairy audacious future. Instead, help focus their attention and resources on doing what matters right here and right now. Help them see what is possible. And set them free to do it. 

Nothing will motivate them more. 

 

We’re offering a series of online workshops for faith-based leaders beginning March 2. One of these workshop series will help you see with new eyes using something we call the PAWN Process. The PAWN Process is a way of seeing who you are and what you have to work with for the sake of doing what matters. These 6 session workshop includes: 

• 3 hours of webinar presentations (that you can watch anytime!) 
• 3 live online chat sessions 
• A copy of ARE’s new book “Seeing With New Eyes: Using the PAWN Process in Faith-Based Groups” 
• Study guides to help you use these webinars with leaders in your organization 

Early-bird registration is now open. Click here for more information.

Comments

[Jean Silva]

I diasagree with you on BHAGs. If you don't shoot for something big (say like churches working toward their full kingdom potential), we give folks permission to putz along... To dismiss BHAG's outright is shortsighted. Sure, BHAG's can be abused. Anything can.

And Canada won the Hockey gold medal- I don't think they'r moping about losing to the US now.

[Kelly Fryer]

Jean - Thanks for joining the conversation. I hear you. There are way too many folks putzing along in churches and every other kind of organization. And I feel frustrated with that, too!

On the other hand, in my experience what really motivates people is getting them focused on doing what matters NOW...not one day. I'm not saying don't dream. But I'd rather spend a day asset mapping with a group for the sake of figuring out what they can do right now than daydreaming with them.

As for the Canadians, they did win the game (by a hair) but they didn't meet their goal. They have to be satisfied with "yeah but." As in, "yeah" we didn't win 30 medals "but" we did win the big game (or whatever).

"Yeah buts" have been used as excuses by people in all kinds of organizations for years. For example, "Yeah," we didn't grow 50% of our congregations "but" we have more people in Bible study. It has created in too many places a culture of excuse making.

Plus all that the research is showing that BHAGS can create more problems than they're worth.

So, you and I feel frustrated about the same thing. The question is, what is the most helpful thing leaders can do about it?

Thanks again for being in this conversation!

- Kelly