Category: Strategy Frameworks

Some goals are bigger than a quarter or even a year. They’re the dreams you whisper about on a beach at sunset. Scaling Up gives those dreams a home.

Scaling Up is the growth methodology Verne Harnish shares in his book of the same name, building on his famous Rockefeller Habits. It helps companies grow by getting four things right: People, Strategy, Execution and Cash. Guess what? Those four decisions shape a great life, too.

The four decisions, made personal

Scaling Up decision	At work	In your life
People	Hiring and keeping the right team	Surrounding yourself with people who lift you up
Strategy	Choosing where to play and how to win	Deciding what you’ll say yes (and no) to
Execution	Priorities, metrics and meeting rhythms	Daily habits, weekly reviews, quarterly goals
Cash	Fueling growth without running dry	Financial stability that gives you freedom

Dream big with a BHAG

A BHAG is a Big Hairy Audacious Goal, a 10 to 25 year target so bold it’s a little scary. Companies use one to rally everyone around a shared future. Yours might be “Own a home by the water,” “Launch a foundation for kids in my city” or “Visit every continent with my family.” Write it down. Say it out loud. It changes how you make decisions today.

Know your core values

Great companies hire, fire and decide based on core values. Pick three to five values that describe you at your best. Integrity? Adventure? Generosity? They become your filter. When an opportunity doesn’t match your values, it’s an easy no.

Build your one-page personal plan

Scaling Up is famous for the One-Page Strategic Plan. Here’s a personal version you can sketch in an afternoon:

• Core values: three to five words that define you
• Purpose: why you do what you do
• BHAG: your 10 to 25 year dream
• 3-year picture: what life looks like when you’re on track
• 1-year goals: three to five measurable wins across Body, Mind, Spirit, Connection and Stability
• Quarterly priorities: the three things that matter most right now
• Rhythm: daily intentions, a weekly review and a quarterly reflection

Companies scale with discipline and rhythm. So can you.

Keep the rhythm going

Scaling Up teams rely on a steady cadence of daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly check-ins. Try a two-minute morning intention, a Sunday review and a quarterly reflection. And once a year? Plan something special. A few days away, maybe even a WAVES retreat, to look back, celebrate and dream even bigger.

Ready to build your own plan? Let’s connect! We’ll start with a Discovery Session and map your first move together.

Ever set big goals in January and wonder where they went by March? You’re not alone. That’s exactly the problem EOS® helps companies solve, and its tools are surprisingly easy to bring home.

EOS stands for the Entrepreneurial Operating System®, introduced by Gino Wickman in his book Traction. It helps leadership teams get clear on their vision, stay focused and hold each other accountable. Here are the pieces I love most for personal life.

The crosswalk: EOS at work vs. EOS at home

EOS tool	At work	In your life
Vision/Traction Organizer®	Core values, focus and long-range plan	Your values, passions and 10, 3 and 1 year picture
Rocks	3 to 7 company priorities per quarter	3 personal priorities for the next 90 days
Scorecard	5 to 15 weekly business numbers	A handful of weekly habit numbers
Level 10 Meeting™	Weekly leadership team meeting	A 20-minute Sunday check-in
IDS	Identify, Discuss, Solve issues	Name the obstacle, talk it through, pick a next step

1. Your Vision/Traction Organizer®, simplified

At work, the V/TO™ captures a company’s core values, focus, long-range target and plan on two pages. At home, answer a few questions: What are my core values? What am I passionate about? Where do I want to be in 10 years, 3 years and 1 year? That’s your personal north star.

2. Rocks: your 90-day priorities

Companies pick 3 to 7 “Rocks” each quarter, the most important things to get done in the next 90 days. For your life, pick three. Maybe it’s finishing a certification, planning a family trip and running three times a week. Ninety days is long enough to make real progress and short enough to stay urgent.

3. A personal Scorecard

EOS teams review a handful of weekly numbers that show whether the business is on track. Your scorecard can be just as simple:

• Workouts this week
• Books or chapters read
• Quality evenings with family or friends
• Money saved or invested
• A 1 to 5 rating of how you feel about the week

4. A weekly check-in (your own Level 10 Meeting™)

EOS leadership teams meet every week in the same format. Steal the idea! Block 20 minutes every Sunday. Review your scorecard, check your Rocks and look at the week ahead. Consistency beats intensity every single time.

5. IDS: Identify, Discuss, Solve

When something’s off track, EOS teams use IDS to fix it: identify the real issue, discuss it openly and decide on a solution. Try it with a partner or accountability buddy. Name the real obstacle, talk it through and commit to one next step.

Vision without traction is just daydreaming. Pick three Rocks, check your numbers weekly and watch what happens.

EOS®, Entrepreneurial Operating System®, Vision/Traction Organizer® and Level 10 Meeting™ are trademarks of EOS Worldwide. Spark Arete is not affiliated with EOS Worldwide; this article shares how EOS concepts can inspire personal planning.

Ready to build your own plan? Let’s connect! We’ll start with a Discovery Session and map your first move together.

The best companies don’t leave growth to chance, and neither should you. This is the first of three articles on how to borrow proven company strategy frameworks for your personal ambitions. First up: OGSM.

If I could hand you just one planning tool, it would be OGSM. It fits on a single page. It connects your biggest dream to what you’ll do on a Tuesday afternoon. And it’s been a quiet powerhouse behind some of the world’s best-run companies for decades, including P&G, where I first saw it in action while leading agency work for the brand.

What OGSM stands for

• Objective: one inspiring, qualitative statement of what you want to achieve.
• Goals: a few specific, measurable results that prove you got there.
• Strategies: the choices you’ll make to reach your goals. Where you’ll focus, and just as important, where you won’t.
• Measures: the numbers you’ll track along the way to know each strategy is working.

How a company uses it

A brand team might write an objective like “Become the most loved brand in our category.” Goals put numbers on it, like market share and household reach. Strategies choose the path, like winning with younger families or launching a new product line. Measures track the progress every month so the team can adjust fast.

How you can use it

Here’s a real-life example I love. Say your objective is a healthier, more energized year.

OGSM	Company example	Personal example
Objective	Become the most loved brand in our category	Feel strong, energized and present this year
Goals	Grow share 2 points by year end	Run a 10K by October and sleep 7+ hours most nights
Strategies	Win with young families; launch a new line	Train with a friend; protect a 10 p.m. bedtime
Measures	Monthly share and trial rates	Workouts per week and average hours of sleep

An objective without measures is a wish. Measures without an objective are just busywork. OGSM gives you both.

Build your OGSM in 30 minutes

• Dream first. Write your objective in one sentence. Make it exciting enough to get you out of bed.
• Pick 2 to 3 goals. Make them measurable and give them a date.
• Choose 3 to 4 strategies. These are your big moves. Keep the list short.
• Assign a measure to each strategy. Something you can check weekly or monthly.
• Put it where you’ll see it. Fridge, desk, phone lock screen. Visibility is half the magic.

Make it a family affair

OGSM works beautifully for families, too. Try a family objective like “Laugh more, stress less and make memories together.” Then let everyone help choose the goals. Kids love tracking progress, especially when there’s a celebration at the finish line!

Ready to build your own plan? Let’s connect! We’ll start with a Discovery Session and map your first move together.