Setting business goals can look very technical especially when there are a lot of factors involved. However, it doesn’t have to be.
Today, I will be sharing with you an efficient method you can apply when setting your business goals without getting overwhelmed.
It’s called the GOST model.
G- Goals
O- Objectives
S- Strategy
T- Tactics
G- Set a goal. What do you want the business outcome to be? What must your communications and marketing achieve? Goals should be achievable.
O- Establish objectives. Think about what measurable achievements must be attained in order to meet the larger goal.
S- Plot strategies for each objective. Strategies tell you how to obtain your objectives by outlining the general path you will take to get there.
T- Develop tactics. The series of specific, smaller tasks are called tactics and they are the building blocks of a strategy.
Here’s an example of how to set goals using the GOST model
| What | How | |
| High-Level | Goals | Strategy |
| Detail-Level | Objectives | Tactics |
Here’s how it works
Let’s say at Bookings Africa, I’m planning for my goals and strategies for Q2 of 2021
Goal: Get recognized on the list of fastest growing startups in Africa, set to publish in April.
Let me explain: This goal is my high-level outcome. It lays out what I want to achieve, but it doesn’t dive into the details or how I am going to achieve it.
Objective: Grow Q2 year-over-year revenue with 200%
Let me explain: This is a measurable and specific outcome related to my goal
Strategy: Build a new feature on the website to improve signups, usage and train my team daily to move prospects close. As new users pour in, hire top-notch customer success managers to keep service levels high, so churn doesn’t tank revenue.
Let me explain: With the strategy, I get into the how. It’s the plan I put in motion to get recognized on the list of Africa’s fastest growing startups.
Tactics: Run bi-monthly ad campaigns to get in front of the right audience members, bringing them back to our shiny new and highly function able website. Use customer testimonials to promote proven results and superior service-social proof goes far. Train all new employees to uphold our high standard of service from prospecting to post sign-ups.
Let me explain: These are a few of the specific actions I will take to reach my objectives and achieve my goals.
Reviewing is key
- No successful business owner sets goals for a work project or quarter and forgets all about them months after, that is a recipe for disaster.
- In setting goals for your business, make sure you break up a year-long plan into bites preferably into quarterly bites (90 days plan).
- Be strategic with what goals you choose to prioritize first, and the objectives and action items that follow. Use the GOST model to identify your goals, objectives, strategies and tactics.
Fade Ogunro is a Nigerian media professional, film producer and fashion designer. She is the founder and CEO of Bookings Africa, an online talent service provider in Africa and the first African female board member of The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women’s Global campaigns board.
Fadé launched her career in 2011 as co-founder of Film Factory Productions, which created media content for Microsoft, Coca-Cola, MTV, and several other globally recognized brands. In addition to amassing over 1.5 billion views and winning several awards, these projects gave Fadé an in-depth knowledge of how business was being developed in Africa.
Inspired by the depth of talent she was introduced to, Fadé shifted her focus to the rapidly emerging gig economy.
With over 85,000 active users, Bookings Africa has already helped several individuals and families earn a sustainable income.
