Having a “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” (BHAG) is a key concept introduced in the book “Built to Last” by Jim Collins, and is often referred to in the Scaling Up methodology. A BHAG is a clear and compelling vision for the future of your company that inspires and motivates your employees to work towards a common goal.
Here are 4 reasons why you need a BHAG:
BHAG’s Unify and Inspire Your People
Having a BHAG can provide a number of benefits for your company. First and foremost, it can serve as a powerful unifying force for employees. By providing an inspiring vision for the future, it can help to rally your employees around a common purpose and motivate them to work together towards a shared goal.
This can help to create a strong sense of teamwork and collaboration within the organization, which can lead to increased productivity and success.
BHAG’s Drive Innovation
By setting a bold and ambitious goal, you can challenge employees to think outside the box and come up with new and innovative solutions to problems.
This can help to foster a culture of innovation and creativity within the organization, which can lead to the development of new products and services that can give the company a competitive edge in the marketplace.
BHAG’s Attract and Retain A Players
Having a BHAG can also help to attract and retain top talent. In today’s highly competitive job market, employees are looking for more than just a paycheck.
People want to work for companies that can demonstrate commitment to their employees and to the future success of the organization. They want to work for companies that have a clear and inspiring vision for the future and that offer opportunities for personal and professional growth.
BHAG’s Provide Focus and Direction
In addition to these benefits, a BHAG can also help to provide direction and focus for your company. In the fast-paced world of business, it can be easy for companies to get caught up in the day-to-day hustle and lose sight of their long-term goals. A BHAG can help to keep the company focused on its vision for the future and ensure that all of its efforts are aligned towards achieving that goal.
How To Create a BHAG
In order for a BHAG to be effective, Jim Collins summarises the most important qualities to consider when setting your BHAG.
- It should be ALIGNED to what is most important to the organisation, so that employees are motivated and inspired to work towards it.
- It should be AUDACIOUS and not able to be achieved quickly or easily (hence the ‘A’ in BHAG!)
- It needs to be ARTICULATE – clear and specific so that everyone within the organization knows exactly what the goal is and can understand how it relates to their work.
- It should be ARDUOUS and require creativity and innovation from your employees.
In conclusion, having a BHAG can provide a number of benefits for a company. It can serve as a powerful unifying force, drive innovation and creativity, attract and retain top talent, and provide direction and focus for the organization. By setting a clear and inspiring vision for the future, a BHAG can help to motivate and engage employees, and drive the success of the company.
The Ninox Group is a consulting services company dedicated to partnering with businesses to optimise their success. Our solutions are designed to build high performance teams, tailored strategies and proven execution plans. Working with our dedicated and experienced consultants means creating the right structure and accountability, and having us beside you to drive growth, achieve your goals and create your chosen future.
Our experience and knowledge across vast industry groups put us at the forefront of business consulting services. Using the Scaling Up and Rockefeller Habits methodology as the framework, we combine proven business principles and advanced, cutting-edge business theory and practice that align and accelerate leadership teams and company objectives. We focus on understanding your scope and processes, and working with you to develop scalable business models for organisational growth, to achieve your end goal.
Contact our team to find out how we can work with you to achieve your goals and create your chosen future.
