Too many companies rush to create annual goals/OKRs/Target without answering the most basic question: “Why do we exist?”. It's like trying to learn skiing before standing up straight. The order matters. Trying to deny that only causes more problems. When organizations grow and add people, the "why" becomes critical. Without clear foundations, teams pull in different directions.
By now a lot of us know the golden circle from Sinek’s TED talk ages ago. When I was a part of Everfield I’ve worked with Scott, Anna, Franklin, Henning and Marcin to reach Everfield Mission of "Fostering ambition, fuelling growth, and unlocking opportunities for Europe's software ecosystem."
The other cool tool that supports that is the Hedgehog Concept introduced by Jim Collins. It offers a simple framework that cuts through complexity:
- What can you be best at in the world?
- What are you deeply passionate about?
- What drives your economic engine?
Great companies answer these questions first. They simplify their mission and ignore the rest. This foundation gives clarity before diving into annual or monthly targets.
