MB #8 Why Today’s BHAGs Need to Be More than Impossible

How to Modernize a Great Idea without Losing the Impact

You have read the “Problem with the SDG Goals” article written on this website, and picked up on the idea that having too many over-the-top Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs) creates issues. (SDG stands for Sustainable Development Goals.) In other words, a vision intended to inspire people can do the very opposite, even with the best of intentions.

But why does this happen, exactly?

Well, things have changed since Jim Collins and Jerry Porras wrote “Built to Last” in 1994 and introduced the world to the idea of BHAGs. Today, you must do much more to engage stakeholders than simply announce a stretch target.

But has this lesson been accepted by organizations and companies that rely on BHAGs to do their magic?

Keep reading to hear explanations of how stakeholders have changed and the impact it has on your long-term strategic planning. You’ll pick up some specific recommendations about the way you engage staff to accomplish breakthrough corporate results.

BHAGs - A Background

Collins and Porras were not shy in sharing the conclusions of their research. According to their findings, the best-performing companies made public commitments to inspiring oversized goals. These had a galvanizing effect on their staff and other stakeholders. But how did this impact show up?