Worksheet: Write this year's objectives on one page

Ask five managers what the business is trying to do this year and you often get five answers. This sheet cuts the objectives to five or fewer, each with a measure and an owner. It builds the Competent step of the check:

The business has three to five written objectives for the year, each with a measure of success and a named owner.

Step 1. Collect and cut

List every objective in use today: the budget, the board paper, the plan, the last all-staff speech. Then cut to five.

Objective in use	Where it appears	Keep, merge or drop	Reason

Step 2. The page

#	Objective	What will be different, by when	Measure of success	Target	Owner
e.g. 1	Win back independent retailers	Sales to independents back to their level of two years ago by June	Monthly sales to independents	$4.2m a month	Sales director
1
2
3
4
5

Step 3. Sign it and use it

Signed by the management team (date)	First monthly pack it opens	Where staff can see it

Under 50 people: have the senior people sign the page, and open every monthly meeting with it.

Done when: the page holds three to five objectives, each with a measure and a named owner, and it opens every monthly pack.

Adapted from our own result-areas deck (PSP, 2011).