OGSM EXPLAINED
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REDUCED COMPLEXITY
FIXED TIME LINE
FIXED LOW FEE
FIXED OUTCOME FORMAT
understanding OGSM
The vision of where you want to be at the end of a specific period (usually 1-3 years).
Or the point at which your plan is completed.
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​Seemingly impossible to achieve, made possible by OGSM.
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​It gives direction, ambition and motivation.
​Easy to understand and remember, touching both mind and heart.
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​The objective provides direction for the entire OGSM: Everything else follows from this, which means agreement within the team is required.
OBJECTIVE
Quantification of the elements of the Objective.
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Monitoring progress towards the Objective ensures you are heading in the right direction and staying on schedule.
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It also ensures all stakeholders have the same understanding of the specific words in the Objective.
GOALS
Objective and Goals
define what you want to achieve. In principle these do not change.
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Strategies and Measures
explain how you will get there.
The main steps needed to reach the Objective.
They can be inspired by the SWOT.
These are the decisions about how people, budget, and time are used.
Each strategy is assigned to a person or team and becomes their main goal.
They know that by achieving this goal, they’re making a key contribution to the overall organisational objective.
Up to five strategies; because doing fewer strategies well is far more effective than juggling many and leaving them unfinished.
STRATEGIES
EXAMPLE OF A VAGUE OBJECTIVE
Our goal is growth, with innovation playing a crucial role across areas like production, marketing, communication, and packaging.
In each of these fields, adapting to consumers and their evolving needs is central to our approach.
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Seems clever, but is vague (growth?)
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Open to multiple interpretations (evolving needs, adapting)
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Could be applied to any business
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No "What" by "How"
EXAMPLE OF A GOOD OBJECTIVE
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(WHAT) At the end of 2027, Redbury Chocolate is Spain’s chocolate brand of choice for connoisseurs with a conscience
(HOW) BY developing a sustainable co-ownership model for every stage of sourcing, production and marketing.
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Inspiring and motivating
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Specified target group
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What by How
In English this term refers to both a measurement and an action.​​
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We divided Measures into
two parts:
– a Dashboard
– an Action Plan
MEASURES
Quantification of the elements per Strategy.
Ensuring all stakeholders have the same understanding of the specific words in the Strategy.
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Monitoring progress of the strategy:
Are we heading in the right direction? Are we on schedule?
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Although the Objective and Goals stay unchanged, you can change the road towards them: the Strategies and Actions.
The Dashboard gives criteria for go/no-go decisions and corrective actions.
MEASURES – DASHBOARD
The smaller, more concrete steps to realise each Strategy.
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Thoughtful decisions:
– how each team invests their time and uses their budget
​– what a team will do, and what they will STOP doing
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Responsibilities and deadlines.
MEASURES –
ACTION PLAN
REAL STORIES – REAL IMPACT
While strategy work is often confidential, we want to share some of the real-world challenges clients face—and how they made changes for the better.
These anonymised case studies, with industries adjusted for confidentiality, reveal the powerful potential of OGSM.
show me the money: an investor magnet
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An early-stage start-up struggled to raise capital despite initial investor interest. The feedback was consistent: while the idea was appealing, there was no concrete execution plan or system to track progress and demonstrate returns on investment.
We expanded the Objective beyond just the idea, connecting benefits with the target audeince's latent needs . This provided clear direction and a compelling narrative for potential investors.
The one existing strategy relied solely on social media engagement (likes and shares) but lacked specific content plans and a link to the Objective.
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We lowered the barrier to entry significantly by introducing clear measures at the action level which gave investors direct feedback about the impact of thier capital. They could easily track progress—or withdraw if targets were not met.
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The result was overwhelming investor interest, as they saw a start-up with the energy of a new venture combined with the strategic mindset of a seasoned company. The kind of low-risk, high-reward opportunity that investors look for.
Stage 1 - organise, focus & fund
when two heads butt, no cars get saved
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A client in the emergency roadside assistance sector consisted of two distinct parts:
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The medical teams (doctors and associated staff)
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The operations teams, including ambulance services, call centres, and dispatch coordination. In charge of strategy.
The medical staff prioritised the highest level of service, while the operations teams were focused on cost efficiency.
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We emphasised involving representatives from both divisions in defining the Objective, which we elevated to a shared and more inspiring vision that both teams could agree on.
​The ensuing strategies allowed each division to leverage their expertise.
As a result, the two divisions no longer impeded each other’s progress. They both could achieve their individual objectives as well as the overarching goals of the company.
Stage 2 - Grow & mAture
letting go, without letting down
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Leaning back and enjoying the rewards of years of hard work: an unfulfilled wish for a Dutch vegetable grower.
The challenge? He was pivotal—everything was in his head, from daily operations to client relationships and new business generation. Without his input, the business would stall. It was crucial to document his ideas and processes.
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Defining the Objective was straightforward: the owner had always been a successful visionary.
But as a micromanager, strategy was a challenge. This gave the management team a chance to step up and apply their expertise. Involving the wider team in action planning also gave them a new sense of ownership.
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The goals and dashboard allowed the owner to monitor progress as needed, giving him the confidence to hand over control to the OGSM-empowered team.
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The result was a major shift in company dynamics. The team thrived with their newfound structure and autonomy, while the owner enjoyed watching the continued success from a distance and the growth of his grandchildren, soon ready to step into the business.
Stage 3 - reduce & sell
REDBURY chocolate
EXAMPLE
Redbury Chocolate is a brand we wish really existed, with a mission to make top-quality, ethically produced chocolate accessible to everyone.
By the end of 2027, Redbury aims to be recognised as the go-to sustainable chocolate brand for connoisseurs who care about the impact of their choices.
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Their unique approach involves engaging communities, ensuring transparency in their supply chain, and offering co-ownership opportunities to those passionate about chocolate, sustainability and excellence.
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This example illustrates the comprehensive structure and scope of an OGSM but does not include all the goals, strategies, and measures required for a complete OGSM. The numbers are solely for demonstration purposes and may not reflect entirely accurate or realistic values.
download the pdf version here
the visual structure of an OGSM
