Big, hairy, audacious goals (BHAGs) are radical, ambitious, and forward-thinking long-term aspirations that challenge companies to effect big changes over time. BHAGs were introduced by Stanford University business professors James Collins and Jerry Porras in a 1996 article, encouraging entrepreneurs and established CEOs to set far-reaching goals for corporate achievement. BHAGs can also be applied to personal development and education.
Big, hairy, audacious goals are long-term business aspirations designed to effect big changes over time. A goal is not a hairy audacious goal, or BHAG, unless it is radical, forward thinking and extremely ambitious. Companies often set big, hairy, audacious goals as a way to propel themselves forward in a definite direction and strategize for the distant future.
Stanford University business professors James Collins and Jerry Porras used the phrase “big hairy, audacious goals” in a 1996 article called “Building Your Company’s Vision.” In this article, the authors challenged entrepreneurs and established CEOs to set radical, far-reaching goals for corporate achievement. They argued that the big vision is one of the best ways to motivate employees, be successful and, in the long run, truly change the spirit of the company for the better.
Collins and Porras encouraged readers to think about the most difficult, frightening, and game-changing changes they would like to see in their companies in the coming decades. They called these changes “Big Audacious and Hairy Goals” as a way of conceptualizing their magnitude and breadth. Big hairy audacious goals as outlined in the teachers article should be goals that can be completed anywhere between 10 and 30 years, with smaller goals set at intervals along the way.
One of the benefits of adopting a BHAG is effecting radical-sounding corporate changes. In almost all cases, big audacious and hairy goals challenge companies to work outside their comfort zones and strive for things that might not seem likely or even possible. With a minimum term of 10 years, however, almost anything can be accomplished if properly planned and executed.
Not all big audacious and hairy goals relate to business goals. Although the term originated in a business context, it can be applied to virtually any aspect of life. Individuals often set BHAGs for themselves, usually for personal development or enrichment. Ambitions like learning a foreign language, getting a graduate degree, or embarking on unusual and challenging journeys are audacious and hairy personal goals.
The concept is also often used in education. Teachers will challenge students to define BHAGs for themselves, visualizing where they want to be in high school, college, or as adults. Encouraging children to set solid life goals at an early age can be a good way to channel energy and encourage a focus on ongoing personal development.
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