The goal pyramid begins with setting one main goal. The goal should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound). To set a goal, leadership must first define their WHY:
- Why are we in health care?
- Why should patients receive care from us?
- Why do we want to achieve this specific goal?
Once you’ve set a goal, it’s time to create strategies—plans or actions—for achieving that goal. The best strategies align with the WHY to support the goal. When creating strategies, start by considering the WHAT, WHO, and WHEN:
- What needs to be done to meet the goal?
- Who will be responsible for putting the strategies into action?
- When will the strategies be put into place?
After creating your strategies, it’s time to decide how to put those plans into action. This involves developing tactics that provide direction on how to implement. Many people confuse strategies with tactics: a strategy is the plan, while a tactic is how you execute on the plan. Execution involves answering the HOW:
- How will you meet each strategy?
- How will you assign resources?
- How will you pay for the resources?
- How will you track and measure your results?
After determining the tactics for executing your strategies, it’s time to assign the resources (i.e., people and tools) for implementing the tactics. Goal setting is great but doing the work is what moves the organization forward and helps your team realize success. This involves creating and implementing your operational plans, which should:
- Set benchmarks to measure performance
- Provide direction on making processes easier to achieve
- Equip your people with the tools to do the work
