200 newsletters ago I began the research for what would later become MAKE PROGRESS. I realized that the business growth mechanisms in the market have one flaw: they do not consider the energy of people in organizations.
MAKE PROGRESS® is a growth management operating system that, instead of exploiting people, gives them back that energizing feeling of progress and does so by integrating the most advanced concepts of business design and human psychology.
In this series I have decided to share the science within the method-I will show you why MAKE PROGRESS with OKRs works and how to help yourself and your team achieve great things.
In the previous note: the psychology of goals
In the memo №200 I explained how our brains are naturally predisposed to set and pursue goals efficiently, analyzing in detail what a goal represents from a neurological point of view.
You have found that every strategy-and consequently every goal-necessarily involves behavioral transformation, which is why pursuing it is often exhausting. That is why at STRTGY we have developed specific techniques and tools that intervene in the two fundamental elements of change: skills and motivation.
I then explained how to increase competence and why we get bored when we get good at it. Basically, the brain is always looking for intellectual challenges, but it also needs to conserve energy, so as it learns it turns complex tasks into automatic actions. Kind of like when you can have a conversation and drive at the same time.
I also explained how to increase motivation and of the importance of choosing goals aligned with one’s identity and how to activate a cycle of rewards that creates the habits you need to stay focused and that change behavior in a stable way.
Progress is an energizing and addictive feeling! What we will do together, if you want, is to create a system designed to support Progress instead of squeezing people until they can’t take it anymore and need a vacation, or worse yet, to change companies (or partners).
Finally, to help you get started quickly, I showed you how the Now&Next works, one of the tools in the MAKE PROGRESS® Toolkit for activating change in your team with order and precision using a numerical index we call the Strategy Gap.
After this recap, let us proceed without further ado!
How to formulate goals to be achieved
Just taking a piece of paper and writing down a wish is not enough to turn it into a goal. Science has shown that it is important to set them up in a way that maximizes the chances of success.
In other words, the way we define our goals directly influences our efforts and the end result.
The Coaches at MAKE PROGRESS and I use these 3 principles, based on scientific research, every day to formulate goals engineered for success:
- Focus on getting constructive results instead of avoiding problems
- Always eliminate ambiguity
- Explain why you are willing to make a personal commitment
Let’s look at how and why they work through intentionally simple examples to introduce you to this way of thinking that intersects science and strategy. I will also compare OKRs with SMART goals, which you may be familiar with, and find out why they are not as effective as you thought they were.
Principle 1 – Focus on getting constructive results instead of avoiding problems
When formulating a goal, focus on what you want to improve instead of what you want to prevent from happening. In this way, you will focus on the most stimulating activity for your brain: learning and growing skills, rather than just demonstrating your abilities. This approach will lead you to seek internal (rather than external) rewards, thus increasing the likelihood of achieving the goal (Higgins, 1997; Dweck, 1999; Ryan & Deci, 2000).
Example
Imagine working in a company that develops software. If the team leader defines the goal as, “We want to learn from user feedback to continuously improve our product, experiment with new ideas, and innovate in our industry, “ then you are focusing on a positive, internal learning and motivation approach. In this case, the focus is on growth, continuous improvement, and innovation, elements that can fuel creativity and collaboration among team members.
Conversely, if the same the team leader focused on the goal, “We want to launch the software to prevent competitors from overtaking us, to prove our technical superiority, and to obtain industry awards, “ then the focus shifts to preventing failure, performance, and seeking external recognition. This approach, while motivating in some contexts, may generate more stress and limit innovation as the focus becomes the fear of failure to avoid mistakes rather than the opportunity to learn and grow (Dweck, 1999; Ryan & Deci, 2000).
Principle 2 – Always eliminate ambiguity
The precision with which you design the goal allows our brains to clearly visualize the future. This phenomenon is so important that I will discuss it in detail in the next note, so don’t miss it sign up and invite those you care about to sign up so you can leverage these principles right away in your goal setting sessions.
If a goal is ambiguous, the chances that it can be achieved drop to a minimum because it is precisely that vision of the future that will be clouded.
To eliminate ambiguity you can act on two levers: precision in defining the goal and the time frame in which it needs to be achieved.
Generic and ineffective example
“Increasing sales.”
This goal is too vague because it does not specify how much to increase sales, over what period and by what methods.
SMART Goal example
“Increase sales by 15 percent in the next quarter by launching a social media marketing campaign and monitoring the conversion rate weekly.”
This goal is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound, making the steps and criteria for success clear (Bandura & Schunk, 1981; Locke & Latham, 1990).
A SMART goal is very effective in defining what to do and how to measure it and could work well for personal goals or teams with few skills and freedom of action that need to know exactly what to do.
OKR example with the MAKE PROGRESS® Method
| Cycle | Annual 2025 (January – December) | ||
| Objective | Increase corporate leadership in our market segment | ||
| Key Result 1 | Increase annual order volume | from € 15.5 M | to € 21 M |
| Key Result 2 | Increase the number of new customers | from 1,250 | a 1.700 |
| Key Result 3 | Increasing the renewal rate | by 45% | 65% |
Why MAKE PROGRESS® is most effective according to this principle
OKRs go further, making a direct connection between an ambitious strategic goal and the key measurable outcomes that drive daily actions. They are useful for goal setting when we are confident that teams have the right skills and motivation to succeedand even want to amplify them:
- Creating focus and alignment as everyone knows both the common goal and the concrete steps to achieve it.
- Encouraging autonomy, transparency, and accountability, with regular updates on progress that allow tactics to be adapted quickly.
- Stimulating learning and innovation, as the goal (Objective) is formulated in an ambitious and inspirational manner, while the Key Results provide the tangible measurement of success.
Principle 3 – Explain why you are willing to make a personal commitment
It is critical to choose goals to which you are truly willing to commit. The strength of commitment depends on the belief that the goal is highly desirable and achievable based on factors such as confidence in the capabilities, one’s own and one’s team’s, the certainty that the actions taken will lead to the expected outcome, and the general perception of the likelihood of success (Ajzen, 1991; Webb & Sheeran, 2006; Bandura, 1977; Maddux, 1999; Vroom, 1964; Oettingen & Mayer, 2002).
Generic and ineffective example
“We want to improve our market position because we believe it is important.”
It does not specify what the “improvement” consists of, what measurable results to achieve, or how the team will concretely contribute. The lack of detail weakens the team’s commitment because it is not clear what exactly is to be done to achieve it.
SMART Goal example
“Increase sales of Product X by 15 percent by the next quarter through a specific training plan for the sales team, because we strongly believe in the product’s potential.”
Here we have yes a clear definition of the target (15%), the period (next quarter) and the business initiative through which to achieve the goal. This target is much more likely to be achieved even if the reasons why this is an important goal are not clear other than simply believing in the product itself.
If you rely on the belief that the goal is desirable and achievable, a goal like this does not help the team to engage properly.
Why MAKE PROGRESS® is most effective according to this principle
We evolve the OKR of the previous example by adding 2 basic elements of writing OKRs according to the MAKE PROGRESS® Method:
- accountabilities: who has the resources to influence the outcome
- Rational: why this goal should matter to you and your team
| Cycle | Annual 2025 (January – December) | |||
| Objective | CEO | Increase corporate leadership in our market segment | ||
| Why | Because competitors are rapidly gaining market share with innovative solutions, putting our current position at risk. | |||
| Why Now | We understand from interviews with our customers that they are evaluating a solution from competitors X and Y who have just launched two cheaper products. | |||
| Key Result 1 | Sales | Increase annual order volume | from € 15.5 M | to € 21 M |
| Key Result 2 | Marketing | Increase the number of new customers | from 1,250 | a 1.700 |
| Key Result 3 | Operation | Increasing the renewal rate | by 45% | 65% |
Do you notice the difference?
An OKR represents a practical and tangible piece of strategy and every part of it is connected with:
- growth ambitions
- the execution context and rationale
- the identities of the teams
In addition, it is clear who has the resources to succeed and the size of the executive effort. OKRs not only define clear and measurable goals, but also reinforce team commitment by including specific responsibilities, a pragmatic “Why” that highlights strategic importance, and a “Why now” that emphasizes the urgency to act.
Inside MAKE PROGRESS®
How to increase accuracy in goal setting with MAKE PROGRESS®
Around week 4 of our implementation program, teams from the companies we work with and our Qualified Coaches receive intensive training on how to write OKRs so that all teams can use this formula:
Objective: verb + area of improvement
This leads not only to uniformity of goal writing but also to the dissemination of these principles throughout the organization.
You can go into more detail and get the same results as those who work with us by picking up a copy of our handbook (Ch. 5 Clarity on Strategic Goals).
How to improve the temporal connection of goals with MAKE PROGRESS®
A goal with a tight deadline is more likely to be accomplished than goals that are distant in time (Bandura & Schunk, 1981; Locke & Latham, 1990).
Certainly it would be easier to work only on annual or even quarterly goals, and some goal setting methods sacrifice strategic effectiveness in the name of seemingly lighter implementation.
Business is an endless game, and having only short-term goals could lead, cycle after cycle, to losing sight of the real end.
What accumulates is an invisible and dangerous debt that I call strategic debt. How to recognize it? The first symptom is that the goals in the short term are trivial and in fact replicate corporate dashboards or, even worse, the task list. Are you in this situation? Perhaps it might be helpful to pick a time from my calendar to talk about it.
To take advantage of this characteristic of the human mind to be very effective in the short term and to avoid getting off track, at MAKE PROGRESS® we have developed a cascading model , or connection between vision and execution that solves this problem at its root.
This cascading model has a number of benefits of which the most important are.
- reduce entropy and business reactivity by keeping people focused on what matters for long periods of time instead of changing strategy simply because someone feels the need for novelty,
- protect the company’s vision and consequently unlock more robust, coherent and innovative strategic thinking.
In conclusion (for the time being)
You have discovered why goal setting is not just a matter of method, but of applied science: setting clear, measurable, and motivating goals means creating the ideal conditions for change to happen in a stable way.
We have seen how goals designed to stimulate internal motivation, eliminate ambiguity and connect to a personal or organizational purpose can fuel that energizing sense of Progress we need to feel alive.
MAKE PROGRESS® does not just optimize performance, but is a true business operating system, where each goal is transformed into a strategic accelerator, supported by the cascading model to balance short-term focus and long-term vision. This is the secret to reducing entropy and protecting strategy consistency over time.
If this strategy note has inspired you, I invite you to share it with your colleagues or those who might find these principles useful in creating more cohesive, autonomous, and motivated teams. The tools you glimpsed today can really make a difference in achieving ambitious goals without accumulating strategic debt.
To delve into every detail of the method, you can choose a time from my calendar or request a dedicated training session for your team on the entire MAKE PROGRESS® toolkit.
See you on the next note; in the meantime, I look forward to your feedback with curiosity-I care.
ALWAYS MAKE PROGRESS
Antonio ⤴
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