How High-Performing Firms Reach Goals Without The Chaos

Trash trailed down the alley, littering the path behind me.

A box here.  A bag there.

No, I wasn't emulating Hansel and Gretel to find my way back home.

I'd simply tried (once again) to take too many things to the trash and recycling bins in one go, dropping things along the way.  

Did I truly go faster than doing it the right way? 

Considering all the clean up effort and the retracing of my steps... probably not.  I overloaded myself for the sake of speed.

And lost.

Having taken clients through big initiatives (and having made some dramatic changes in my own business in the last year), I've learned that, just like carrying too much in one trip, overloading a business with big goals or waiting for a big moment doesn't make for good, clear progress. 

A big endeavor might bring excitement and that dopamine hit of taking action when you first kick it off. But then the feelings sink in as you get into the substance of it. 

It's enough for any sane and intelligent owner to sit back and say, "let me just go check some emails and hope it all goes away." 

But we know it won't. And I know that you don't want to wake up 6 months, a year, 6 years from now with your firm having the same-old problems, while you struggle with the same limited free time and the same not-quite-enough-to-retire-on compensation or multiple. 

So here's how to break down from a big goal to the kind of focused milestones that will actually drive results. 

Achieve Goals Faster With A Clear Outcome

First, you do need to have a roadmap of where you're going. Whether you're working on reaching a big vision or a simple process, starting with the end point is critical. 

It doesn't have to be 110% clear but, thinking of this like a roadtrip, something like "I want to get to Seattle in 3 years" is much better than "I want to drive somewhere." 

And "I want to visit Pike's Place market for some fresh flowers and a chowder followed by a stop at the OG Starbucks" can be even better, especially if it gets you excited and emotionally attached to the goal. Hokey as it may sound, it helps to be tied to where you're headed both intellectually and emotionally to get you through those "pit of despair" moments. More on that to come... 

The longer the "drive", the more you'll want emotions in place. But for now, get about 80% of the way there "I want to drive to Seattle" and then refine the details "for a visit to the Space Needle" as you go. Progress not perfection. 

Sequence Steps For Scalable Impact

Next, let's break down the sub-goals. I usually call these the dominos with my clients and we're typically looking for the right trigger domino or deliverable that makes all else easier. 

That one domino is meant to tip off the next and the next until you're building out that vision almost effortlessly, with multiple tracks in place, bigger and more powerful dominos falling into place. 

(There's this scene in the animated movie Robots that illustrates what we're trying to achieve here. Just watch the first 45 seconds or so...) 

But here's where it gets tricky and those excuses want to come into play. That first domino is often the unsexy stuff. 

Like the hundreds of sales calls, networking meetings, introductions, and more that it can take to get your first sale in a new area. 

Or deep dive into a new piece of technology to customize it for your business needs. 

Or the marketing strategy then structure, then copy, then imagery, then ... before you have a new website. 

Whether you want to retire in 10 years or you want to get out of the admin work today... 

You may think the next step is sales, the savvy systems, or the new website... 

But to trigger the chain reaction in the most effective, certain dominos have to fall first. 

Strategy To Select Your Next Step 

So this process of choosing a domino needs a process for itself. Something that ensures we aren't over-engineering it, but that also ensures we're focused on what most effectively moves the needle. 

Like in that video, it's lined up to be the start of a chain reaction. Unlike in that video, we're not trying to overcomplicate it. 

So what's the process? 

Formally or informally, I'm always using a process backed by what's called design thinking. You can read more about design thinking here, but the gist is that you 

1. Brainstorm all the ideas for accomplishing your outcome. Nothing is off the table. NOTHING.
2. Once it's all "up on the board", rank them. First by effectiveness in reaching the goal and then by how accessible that action plan is. 

Be sure not to discount anything in advance and get creative. If you're focused on marketing, throw up ideas like "hire one of those planes to advertise your business on a banner" or "buy a hot air ballon with our logo on the side." 

Then you sort through to find the winner(s). 

First by ranking for effectiveness... How likely is it that this will help you reach your goal? 

If your clients are big beach goers and a plane on a Saturday afternoon flies by saying "buy my popsicles" just as your popsicle cart is wheeling by, maybe that's way more effective than a social media campaign. 

Then by accessibility and ability... How able are you to afford this action plan and/or how willing and able is your organization for implementing this? 

If you don't have the money for the pilot or the insurance, if it's the middle of winter and you need sales now, if you think planes are abominations in the sky and just the idea makes you nauseous... you won't like the plan and you likely won't stick with the plan. 

Milestones That Matter: Turning Strategy Into Execution

The other key to reaching these bigger visions, and sticking with it through the distractions, is to find the right milestones and actions. 

Let's get back to your plan to visit Seattle. You've chosen a roadtrip over a plane because it allows you to also hit your complementary objectives of exploring Yellowstone, getting your picture taken at the Corn Palace, and experiencing a rodeo in Montana. 

In business speak this might mean you've met your profit/growth target (Seattle) while ensuring your clients have a great experience (Yellowstone), you've become known as an expert or thought leader in your field (Corn Palace photo), and been accessible to your family (rodeo). 

But now you have to fill in the details. 

Instead of thinking about Chicago to Seattle, think about the smaller initiatives. Head West on I-90. Book a hotel in Minneapolis. 

Instead of a grand idea, you have turns and to-do lists. 

This is, in a business, that step where you breakdown a strategic or annual plan into a set of quarterly priorities (also called "Rocks" or OKRs) or a series of smaller initiatives and projects. 

Specificity Creates Action

But sometimes, I like breaking this down further. Because when you are in the midst of a scaling small business, even 3 months can be a looong time. 

We overestimate the amount of time we'll have available. 

We add too much to that to-do list. 

And we get distracted by everything from email to client emergencies. 

So break your actions down even further if it works for you. 

What's the ONE THING you will accomplish in the next 4-6 weeks? 

If you've determined it's a triggering domino, if it's accessible to achieve in 4-6 weeks, do THAT. 

If you can get it down to a task that you can do THIS WEEK, even better. 

For example, of "begin popsicle advertising campaign" it might be "get 3 quotes for aerial advertising." 

Or even better, "ask VA to get 3 quotes for aerial advertising and set up meeting to review on Tuesday at 11 am." (Use your resources!) 

Despite the tendency to load up the list, the more specific you get, with less "priorities" jumbling up the mix, the faster you'll make real progress. 

Action Creates Momentum

Accomplishing big goals doesn't have to be swayed by overwhelm, distractions, or fear. It doesn't even have to be held back by resources like money or time. 

Get an 80% clear picture of your vision (aka destination).

Get emotionally attached to that vision.

Identify the dominos you'll need to trigger progress.

Get specific on what you'll first take action on.

Get more specific.

Get even more specific.

Take action. 

When the desire to quit comes up, when it gets hard (and it will!), come back to the vision, the emotions, and make sure you're focused on something specific and actionable. 

It might feel like a drag day to day, but little actions add up over time. 

Enjoy the roadtrip!