Step 2: Annual Macro Goals #
The second step in the annual planning process is establishing your Annual Macro Goals.
In Propel, this work primarily takes place under Plan → Strategy, where you will focus on Milestones and Priorities.
During Step 1, you established your BHAG — your Big Hairy Audacious Goal — and the long-term destination for the organization. Step 2 begins identifying what needs to happen along the way to reach it.
Establish Your Milestones #
Milestones are the stepping stones between where your business is today and the year you have established for your BHAG.
Each milestone year can include targets or goals that help define what the organization needs to achieve as it progresses toward its long-term goals.
You do not need to establish milestones for every year between today and your BHAG year. You may choose to:
- Set targets for each year.
- Focus only on the current year and a few important future years.
- Leave future years open and revisit them during future annual planning cycles.
These milestones are not meant to lock your organization into a plan that cannot change. A target you establish for a future year may evolve as your business grows and circumstances change.
For additional instructions on creating and managing milestones in Propel, see Setting Milestones in the Plan section of the Support Desk.
Identify Your Priorities #
Next, move to the Priorities section of the Strategy tab.
Priorities represent the major things the organization believes it needs to accomplish to reach its milestones and ultimately achieve its BHAG.
Priorities are directly connected to Initiatives within Propel.
At this stage, however, you don’t need to fully develop each initiative. You can use the Priorities section as a sandbox to capture ideas and determine which areas deserve the organization’s focus.
Once a priority becomes more defined, it can be connected to an Initiative and developed further during later stages of the annual planning process.
For additional instructions, see Setting Priorities in the Plan section of the Support Desk.
Use the Analysis to Inform Your Plan #
During Step 2, you may also want to complete the Analysis tab.
Analysis provides a SWOT framework for discussing the organization’s:
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Opportunities
- Threats
This can be particularly valuable as a discussion between the business owner and leadership team.
What you uncover through the SWOT analysis may influence the milestones you establish and help identify the priorities the organization needs to address.
Use the Planning Process That Works for Your Team #
You do not have to develop your milestones and priorities directly inside Propel.
Many leadership teams prefer to initially work through these ideas using a:
- Whiteboard
- Post-it notes or paper
- Spreadsheet
- Other collaborative planning method
You can also use the Strategy tab itself as your planning sandbox.
The important part is the thinking and discussion. Once you’ve reached alignment, bring the resulting milestones, targets, and priorities into Propel so they become part of your long-term plan and can be revisited year over year.
Completing Step 2 #
You have completed Step 2: Annual Macro Goals once you have:
- Reviewed the path between today and your BHAG year.
- Identified the milestone years that are important to your plan.
- Established initial targets for those milestones.
- Identified the major priorities needed to reach those targets.
- Considered insights from your SWOT Analysis.
- Captured your agreed-upon milestones and priorities in Propel.
Remember, these are not permanently fixed. Your milestones, targets, and priorities should be revisited as part of your annual planning process each year.
With your macro plan established, you’re ready for Step 3: KPIs Identified, where you’ll begin translating the plan into measurable goals and scorecards across the business.