Here's how you can navigate short-term goals while maintaining a long-term vision.

The long-term vision is the compass for every decision. Clearly articulate this vision to guide short-term goals. Outline what success looks like for your company in the long run—market dominance, innovation leadership, etc. Communicate this vision consistently to your team, ensuring every task aligns with the broader objectives.

Navigating short-term goals while maintaining a long-term vision involves balancing immediate tasks with future aspirations. I break down my long-term vision into smaller, manageable milestones, ensuring each short-term goal aligns with my overall objectives. Regularly reviewing and adjusting my plans helps me stay on track and of course ensuring I am adaptable to changes. This way, I make consistent progress towards my long-term vision while accomplishing short-term goals efficiently and effectively.

There are important steps that cannot be skipped here. Laying down a vision is necessary, but proper planning with the end in mind is the real deal (read Covey!). All the way from achieving the long term goals, back to today. Getting buy-in is more important than zoomed-out marketing landscape feel-good PowerPoints. Make sure that the organization of the whole effort is managed by people that have proven to choose OAR (Ownership, Accountability, Responsibility) over BED (Blame, Excuses, Denial).

Once you have a vision statement that articulates your end goal, make sure it’s clearly communicated. A vision is more effective when your entire organization takes it to heart. Commit the proper resources and time toward realizing the vision you’ve set. This can mean investing in seminars and training or launching a new product. It can also include offering the lowest possible prices, entering new markets, or exploring other areas of opportunity. A good way to help everyone align with a company's vision statement is by inviting them into the process. Ask for employees’ input and suggest ways to incorporate the vision into their work. Then, make sure to recognize or reward individuals for their standout contributions.

Any long term vision needs to be broken down into phases with tollgates. This allows the team to clearly work towards the final vision, step by step. Each of these steps need to be very clear and have measurable elements, only when the tollgate is met, the next phase commences. It also helps the team to make course corrections as and when needed. Finally, let’s not forget that only what gets “measured” gets “done”!

I’ve found collaboratively developed and crisply articulated milestones particularly useful as a bridge between tactics and broader vision to keep large teams aligned and motivated. Having the satisfaction of completing tasks to reach a milestone on-time, with quality and on budget provides a sense of motivating achievement. Seeing those milestones progress towards an ultimate business goal or vision ensures continued alignment. A wonderful balance between the forest and the trees.

the long term is a sum of many short terms. check progress on short term goals frequently. There is a tendency to fall into the trap of thinking "there is enough time" but if you're not moving forward you're ngmi

*Regularly reviewing and adjusting plans ensures that both short-term and long-term objectives are met. Below can be added your daily routine,* *Action. *Prioritize Tasks. *Adapt Flexibly. *Empower Teams. *Reflect Regularly. *Perform Multiple task.

Milestones are important. They first begin with being this big and beautiful dream. Of course it has as many detractors as there are advocates. But the quick wins start silencing the detractors and energising the optimists. The system starts gaining momentum. Victories soon start showing up a graded value enhancement. Small wins start paving the path for medium wins and big wins !!

I have come full circle in my thinking about the value of my military tools and frameworks in industry. One of the frameworks I apply regularly comes from Army operations doctrine. Within this doctrine, there are four ways to synchronize operations (or activities): time, space, purpose, and resources. I learned years ago that starting with purpose, then allocating resources, is a very effective prioritization scheme.

Obviously there are some accomplishments which are just waiting to happen. We should convert them into success. Prioritisation of task is important. We must do what can be done easily no matter how insignificant they look. We should move to tackle the next set of medium size challenges. Accumulated successes give us enough energy and motivation to start chasing those big hairy audacious goals , what Jim Collins calls B-HAGs !!

Resources follow priorities. Whether you are speaking for yourself or your organization, its often as simple as looking where you budget time and money are spent. That will tell you what your actual priorities are. But you cannot change what you don't measure. Keep track. And then ask yourself if it really reflects who you are as a person and a team.

Flexibility is key. It comes from having an unwavering self believe that we will succeed no matter what is thrown as us. It’s about not focusing on the problem but figuring out how to turn it into an advantage. Pivot if you have to .. to survive, to win but get back to the right path as soon as possible. Vision and a clear goal will help get you back on the road after tough times. I am ready to do whatever (within reason) to stay alive, keep growing, keep moving forward. As Rocky once said .. it’s not how hard you hit, it’s how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward… yup agreed.. but if the jab ain’t working, try the hook, or the upper cut and even a kick to the balls if all else fails.

One thing I found helpful with regards to staying on track is to prioritise activities and tasks that will consume a maximum of 80% of my capacity. This leaves room for the unexpected - which, while I may not know precisely what to expect experience teaches me to not be overly surprised when it comes. Failure to leave room for the unexpected is by default leaving room for my priority list to be disrupted for me.

"Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation."-Bryan Tracy

Any long term vision or goal needs to be clearly articulated and communicated in multiple modes. In order to achieve a strategic goal, a series of short terms goals need to be accomplished along the way. The major focus will be to prioritize, adapt and empower. The staff planning process will use these three to keep everything on track as you continue to measure and provide feedback during the process up and down in the organization. If the long term vision/goal morphs...and it will. Flexibly prioritize and adapt the appropriate short term goals and empower the teams to act. Once again, adapting needs to clearly articulated and communicated to ensure everyone has a common operating picture of what is occurring.

The PE and VC firms I work with stress that the management team is truly what they are investing in because there will be a time to pivot, so they feel the team will be able to do so and continue to drive the business forward. Please keep in mind that Netflix pivoted, and Blockbuster did not. Slack: Slack started as a gaming company called Tiny Speck. When their game failed to gain traction, they shifted their focus to an internal communication tool they had developed. This pivot created one of the most widely used business communication platforms today. Pivoting is not giving up; it is re-evaluating and adjusting.

I firmly believe that life will inevitably throw a monkey wrench into our plans; life is not a straight line. Life is like a guided missile on its path to a target. Just as a guided missile constantly adjusts its course to stay on target despite encountering obstacles like wind, terrain, or countermeasures, we too must navigate the unexpected challenges life throws at us. Whether it's a sudden career change, a health issue, or a personal setback, these situations require us to pivot and adapt our course. Just like the missile, our success depends on our ability to make these adjustments and stay focused on our goals, using each challenge as an opportunity to refine our trajectory.

Pivoting is a very powerful concept, initially coming from sports and applied to business through lean management and best innovation methods. You don't change your overall long term direction, and keep one foot solidly on the ground, but you move the other one in a different short term direction. This is a powerful way of progressing fast (think MVP / rapid prototyping) not only for strat ups but also for larger organizations

Stay Motivated - **Celebrate Wins**: Recognize and celebrate achievements of short-term goals to maintain motivation. - **Visual Reminders**: Keep reminders of your long-term vision visible to stay inspired and focused.

You're a great leader, and you've hired great team members (my philosophy has always been to try and hire people much more capable that I am, and with skills I don't have strength in, knowing that one day they may be my boss - and for the enterprise I see that as positive!) so give them space to be outstanding! Be their sounding board. Keep them on track to the vision. Make sure they achieve the milestones. Help them when they get blocked, or stuck. Celebrate their success. Encourage them when they start flagging (even an Ironman needs cheers and words of encouragement from time to time). Champion them. Be there for them, but let them grow.

One thing I have found helpful is to not micromanage the teams. This way they are empowered with the autonomy to make decisions and solve problems that are within their scope and only escalate few matters for support

When goals are clear and the milestones to measure them, it will allow leaders to empower your teams without micromanaging, teams will know where to go and when leader will take a pulse; also your team will grow professional and personal.

I love simple rituals or tools to empower teams. Usually, to guarantee autonomy to make decisions, I recommend to use "one hand/five fingers rule" as a guide to check if you can take the decision: 1. Is it aligned with our values? YES 2. Is it connected to our purpose/legacy? YES 3. Does it worsen security? NO 4. Does it worsen quality? NO 5. Does it put our business/brands at risk? NO GO AHEAD!

"That which is measured improves." It isn't about precision with particular metrics in a finite timeframe with long-term strategic evolutionary growth; it is about arching in the right direction with lessons learned infused along the way. This does not absolve the importance of discipline in measuring outcomes such as retention, market penetration, NPS, etc. These measurements get reconciled with a revisitation of the long-term vision and reviewed with a business cadence quarterly and annually to reflect and adapt. Ensuring different perspectives from different roles are infused into these strategic roadmap/ business planning sessions to provide the most informed iterations. It is a journey that has many routes.

"Von einem toten Pferd muss man manchmal absteigen können." Die Reflexion ist unumgänglich. Es bringt nichts, wenn man einer nicht mehr zeitgemässen Vision das gesamte Team und sich selbst in den "Abgrund" richtet. Eine Justierung ist daher empfehlenswert. Der sich schnell ändernde Markt gibt Anhaltspunkte und treibende Kräfte. Diese sollte man beachten und hinterfragen, passen die Geschehnisse zur angestrebten Vision? Wo und was müssen wir korrigieren? Und dann beginnt der Prozess von vorne. Das Team muss dahinter stehen.

Reflexões regulares são vitais para alinhar ações de curto prazo com a visão de longo prazo. Agende revisões periódicas para avaliar o progresso, celebrar sucessos e identificar áreas de melhoria. Incentive o feedback dos membros da equipe e das partes interessadas para obter perspectivas diversas. Use essas reflexões para recalibrar suas estratégias e garantir que elas permaneçam alinhadas com seus objetivos gerais. A reflexão contínua ajuda a manter o curso, tomar decisões informadas e se adaptar conforme necessário para alcançar sua visão de longo prazo.

Reflection needs intention. Any business model is really a system. The leadership team is going to be the most effective if they structure reflection around 1) "What's working well and why", 2) "What's not working well and why" and 3) "What needs adaptation and how". That framework with regular frequency creates an impact map that hopefully correlates with both your multi year and annual business plan. This same process can be cascaded by function so that the whole system flywheel is optimized.

In the pursuit of growth and success, it is imperative that we harness the power of reflection. Throughout my career, I've seen the power of reflection in steering teams towards the organizational vision especially in instances where there seemed to have been a departure from the vision, or whenever we identified aspects of the current strategy that worked incredibly well in getting us closer to our vision. Reflection ought not be passive but a proactive practice ingrained in our culture. It's about celebrating achievements, evaluating our alignment with core values, and refining our strategies to stay agile and effective in a dynamic landscape.

Balancing short-term goals with a long-term vision requires clear prioritization. Set immediate, achievable targets that align with your overarching objectives. Regularly review and adjust short-term plans to ensure they contribute to long-term success. Maintain flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances while keeping the end goal in sight. Leverage small wins to build momentum and motivate progress. Effective time management and strategic planning are key, as is communicating the vision to ensure team alignment. This approach ensures that daily efforts are consistently moving you towards your ultimate ambitions.

Seek a balance between achieving quick wins and making decisions that have positive long-term implications. Evaluate the potential trade-offs and benefits of short-term actions on long-term sustainability. Foster a culture of agility where teams can pivot and adapt strategies based on evolving market dynamics, customer feedback, and competitive pressures while keeping the long-term vision intact. Emphasize continuous learning and improvement. Reflect on lessons learned from achieving short-term goals to refine strategies and enhance performance towards long-term objectives.

Think Big , Start Small and Scale Fast . This summarizes the balance between short-term and long-term objectives . You need to do short term objectives based on the long term vision to show success to motivate people to work towards the ultimate goal.