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OGSM – in detail

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BUILD A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS

BY GROUNDING IT IN INFORMED DECISION-MAKING

 

history

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OGSM originated in the US, influenced by Peter Drucker's "Management by Objectives" concept. It connects the goals of employees to the goals of the organisation. 

It was refined during the post-war economic boom in the US and Japan, initially by companies like Toyota and Honda. They used it for long-term planning and continuous improvement. Later it was adopted by Fortune 500 companies. 

 

Procter & Gamble, one of the first and most successful users, evolved the system by adding clearer strategic and measure components. This made it a powerful tool for aligning organisational efforts. 

Today, OGSM is widely used by Fortune 500 companies and smaller businesses alike, thanks to its 1-page simplicity and focus on translating high-level visions into tangible actions that drive measurable outcomes. Its flexibility also makes it adaptable for different industries, organisational sizes, and project types.

Some well-known names that work with OGSM:

Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Mars, Honda, MetLife, Reckitt-Benckiser

 

At Athena Associates, we work with the tailored version; 

specifically adjusted to suit start-ups and entrepreneurs.

to do or not to do?

why strategy implementation often gets sidelined

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Strategy is often viewed as an extra task, something added on top of the “normal” day-to-day work.

 

But this is a misunderstanding. Strategy is about change, and real change only happens when you change what you do. If you continue the same tasks without making adjustments, nothing will change.

That is why we place great emphasis on identifying what you need to

START, STOP, and CONTINUE doing.

 

Deciding which actions to take (and which to let go of) is crucial in developing effective strategies. This discussion is a key part of the OGSM process, ensuring that you have a clear and actionable roadmap moving forward.

"What by How"

the core of strategy, and of OGSM

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This is the most obvious factor that makes OGSM stand out

from other strategy models or approaches. It is the DNA of strategic thinking:

What do you want to achieve?

and

How will you do that?

For example: reducing my taxes ("What")

BY working with a reputable tax advisor ("How")

to become better informed about tax laws and the possibilities they offer.

 

 

The "What" element is not the problem.

It is the "How" that’s usually missing, which explains

why many strategies do not get implemented.

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A great example was set by John F. Kennedy.

 

His objective was:

"To make Americans proud of their country again".

But that on its own was too abstract and said nothing about "How" to achieve it.
 

To give this vision direction, Kennedy specified the "How":

"by putting the first man on the moon."

 

A tangible, inspiring target that felt like the main objective.

Anecdote: Kennedy often visited NASA. One day, he asked a cleaner what he was doing. The man, who was clearly cleaning the windows, replied,

"Sir, I’m helping to put a man on the moon."

SWOT
An essential starting point

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Internal: strengths, weaknesses
External: opportunities, threats

 

This tried-and-true analysis is a key foundation for your OGSM. It offers a clear understanding of your business, sector, and market, guiding strategic decisions while factoring in potential risks.
 

Internal Analysis
Identifies strengths and weaknesses—areas your organization can influence, such as talent, brand image, technology, and product offerings.

These are compared with competitors to ensure they are assessed in a relevant context.


External Analysis
Looks at opportunities and threats—factors largely outside your control. These need regular monitoring, and you may need to respond as they arise.

Often industry-wide, these factors are likely to be on your competitors' radar too.

Confrontation Matrix

This step brings everything together, setting the foundation for the organisation’s direction and strategies.

Here, strengths are leveraged to capitalizse on opportunities, while weaknesses and threats help steer us clear of potential pitfalls.

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The insights from the SWOT analysis help navigate the organisation by capitalising on strengths, seizing opportunities, mitigating weaknesses, and avoiding or countering threats. It ensures that the company's direction is grounded in reality.

 

Guidance toward the Objective

 

Use the strengths and opportunities to define what your organisation ideally wants to achieve and how to do that.

 

Consider weaknesses and threats as constraints or challenges that the Objective needs to address or mitigate.

 

This ensures that the Objective is not just wishful thinking, but a strategic aim that is well-grounded in the reality of your organisation’s current position and its market environment.

Foundation for Strategies

 

If the SWOT analysis identifies a strength that aligns well with an external opportunity, the strategy might focus on exploiting this alignment to drive towards the Objective.

 

Similarly, a strategy can be developed that addresses a weakness in order to avoid a threat.

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Valuing existing SWOTs or the benefits of a fresh perspective?

 

Some clients arrive with a ready-to-use SWOT analysis; however, we typically develop a new, up-to-date SWOT for them.

 

Following the OGSM mindset, we involve multiple levels and functions within the organisation. This results in a rich collection of multiple perspectives, ensuring a comprehensive, 360-degree review of both the internal and external environments

We handle the entire process, from explaining what a SWOT analysis entails to gathering and verifying the input—often clarifying common confusions, such as the difference between weaknesses and threats.

During the initial workshop, we present this as a Master-SWOT to set the stage for the subsequent discussion.

everyone on the same page

cascading to teams and regions 

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OGSM aligns every part of a business, ensuring everyone works toward the shared objective. 

 

It eliminates siloed thinking, creates transparency and leads to a better understanding of what others are working on.

 

Each project team has its focus, yet they work with the same vision and contribute to the overarching goals.

 

This holistic approach enables the organisation to achieve its objectives more efficiently and effectively.

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Cascading is the key to this alignment.

 

Each strategy in the primary OGSM becomes the objective of a project-level OGSM.

Each action in the primary OGSM, becomes a strategy of a project-level OGSM.

 

This encourages mutual support for a collective effort.

It eliminates conflicts of interest and separate agendas.

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The Strategies of the entire organisation become the Objectives of a lower/project level. 


When it’s important to hold different levels accountable for specific parts of the OGSM, vertical cascading allows each level to contribute to the main objective in ways that are directly relevant to their roles.

 

There is a clear line of sight from the business' top-level Objective down to the actions taken by each project team and individual, and vice-versa.

Primary-level Strategy

becomes

Project-level Objective

Primary-level Measure (Dashboard)

becomes

Project-level Goal

 

Project-level Strategy

becomes

Primary-level Measure (Action)

 

The project Strategies are integrated back into the Primary OGSM as Actions with responsible persons and deadlines.

 

VERTICAL 
from primary to lower/project levels 

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HORIZONTAL
Across functions

This is used when a strategy requires collaboration across departments.

The "What" part remains the same.

The "How" part changes to reflect the specific skills of a department or team (like marketing, finance, R&D, etc.)

 

For example, in a product launch, sales, marketing, and customer support teams might each have an OGSM that supports the same objective but focuses on their specific responsibilities.

Horizontal cascading encourages departments to consider how their actions impact other areas, fostering more collaboration and avoiding isolated or conflicting initiatives.

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This is very effective when each region’s unique context, opportunities, challenges, local strengths and markt dynamics need to be reflected.

Objective: Stays consistent across regions to ensure alignment with the overarching direction of the organisation.

Goals: Adjusted based on regional potential.

For example, a European sales target may be distributed across regions, with each region having its own specific target contributing to the overall Goal.

Strategies: Tailored to reflect each region’s market conditions, cultural nuances, and competitive landscape.

Regional teams may develop distinct approaches that align with the local environment while adhering to the overarching strategic direction.

 

Measures - Dashboard

Adjusted to track regional progress on goals and strategies.

 

These metrics are chosen to make sure each region contributes effectively to the organisational objectives, but in ways that reflect their specific priorities and realities.

Measures - Actions

The specific steps or initiatives that implement the strategies in each region.

 

They translate the regional strategies into day-to-day tasks, aligning local teams’ efforts with the overarching organisational goals.

REGIONAL
Across borders (continued)

your daily compass

on every desk, in every meeting

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OGSM communicates strategic priorities across the organisation by linking future-focused strategic goals with the daily activities of the company.

 

Many organisations use their OGSM as the basis for their monthly meetings and quarterly reviews. 

The model focuses on measuring and aligning Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) with strategic objectives. This makes achieving those objectives a lot more realistic.

Accountability comes naturally with using the OGSM model.

When you are not progressing as you should, the actions can be re-assessed during the monthly progress review.

INTEGRATING OGSM INTO YOUR ROUTINES: DAILY, MONTHLY, AND QUARTERLY

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While OGSM was initially designed for use at the organisational level, its versatility makes it an invaluable tool for projects of any size.

Teams stay focused, aligned, and have more autonomy, allowing them to execute effectively and achieve their goals.

 

Whether you're launching a new product, implementing a marketing campaign, or managing a complex initiative, OGSM helps you stay organised and on track.

Get even the smallest project structured,

focused, and achieving its goals 

OGSM on project level

your involvement

getting stakeholder buy-in

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An externally developed strategy, or one that has been developed completely top-down, often disappears into the drawer. It's too abstract and lacks ownership. 

The OGSM system emphasises involving those responsible for implementation right from the strategy and action planning stages.  

This creates ownership and ensures the strategy is realistic, achievable, and motivating.

At Athena Associates, we believe in empowering your team throughout the strategy process.

Get your entire business aligned, motivated, and

ready to implement

a strategy that works

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A good consultant guides you to uncover the answers, ensuring the result is not only aligned with your vision but fully owned by your organisation.

 

Our approach is collaborative from start to finish, as we work alongside you to ensure the strategy fits your needs and is something your team can implement and drive forward.

While OGSM is a simple and powerful tool, it's not a do-it-yourself project. It requires expertise and facilitation to make it work effectively, and that's where we add value, ensuring the process is smooth, actionable, and impactful.

Despite its simplicity,

OGSM is definitely

not a do-it-yourself project

3 Tips to Build Support

1) Involve others from the start
OGSM requires a big-picture view and tough, pragmatic questions. This is easier to achieve with others involved, and they’ll also be the ones helping to bring the plan to life. Involve your team from the beginning for the best results.

 

2) Identify key contributors and supporters
List the employees who can add valuable content to the strategy and those whose support is crucial. Both groups should have a role in the process.

 

3) Work with a consultant

  • As a facilitator, a consultant can guide discussions, allowing everyone to participate equally and contribute effectively without the need for one person to lead.

  • Leverage their outside perspective for tough questionsA neutral facilitator can ask the sharp, direct, or even challenging questions without affecting team dynamics—questions that might be hard for colleagues to raise directly.

  • Benefit from their objective insights and cross-industry experience: An external person brings fresh eyes, objectivity, and insights from other industries and companies, which helps make useful cross-connections and spot patterns you may not see.

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the wise man knows he doesn't know. 
the fool thinks he knows all.

–oscar wilde

if you can't measure it,
you can't manage it

–peter drucker 

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