03 May We Choose to Go to The Moon
In recognition of the 40 year anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon, I will focus on the need to set challenges for your business and yourself.
“We choose to go to the moon in this decade . . . not because it is easy but because it is hard.”
~ John F. Kennedy, Rice University, Sept. 12, 1962
Business operations and development, running and growing your business, takes a tremendous commitment from everyone within an organization. One of the best ways to ensure success is to establish a goal and work towards it. President John F. Kennedy set the nations sights on the moon. We are talking about going to a place that had only been dreamed of with technology that was barely 65 years old. Considering heavier than air human flight, the Wright brothers accomplished the first step of the adventure in 1903. Talk about shooting for the moon…
As Jim Collins and Jerry Porras state in “Built to Last”, the organization most often benefits by establishing BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals). Establishing a goal, a BHAG, works psychologically. As humans, we have an easier time striving towards something we can focus on rather than mindlessly churning like a machine. JFK does two beautifully concrete things in the above quoted statement; he clearly defines his goal and puts a timeframe on it. Pass or Fail. Oftentimes, we are reticent to state goals so concretely, but we all have a tremendous ability to rise to the occasion.
Set Those Goals to Achieve Those Goals:
This public statement of intent in 1962 set in motion a myriad of efforts necessary to accomplish this phenomenal feat not 7 years later. The declaration of intent created the momentum to strive for a very difficult goal. The rocket to the left would never have launched without making decision after decision toward that point.
Goal setting is instrumental to building a business and to completing an assignment or project. By clearly stating what is to be done, defining how it will be done and setting a timeframe for when it will be done, we have created an atmosphere where all parties involved will be satisfied and able to move on to the next task, or goal.
Whether you are building a business or completing a project, all stakeholders are better served by establishing a concrete point to work towards.
As we’ve learned: Doing the hard work before you do the work will always save you some work!