What’s Your Wildly Important Goal?

2022-05-12T09:20:07-04:00May 16th, 2022|Coaching & Team, Personal Development|

wildly important goal

 

Does your Agency have a WIG—that’s your Wildly Important Goal? 

If not, it’s time to create one. 

The notion of the Wildly Important Goal comes from author Stephen Covey’s The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals

Covey says, “Focusing on the wildly important requires you to go against your basic wiring as a leader to do more, and instead, focus on less so that your team can achieve more.”

As an Agency, the most important thing you should strive to achieve is your Wildly Important Goal.  

As the Agency Owner, you should also have a Wildly Important Goal that supports the Agency’s WIG. And subsequently, each Team Member should define a WIG that supports the Agency’s WIG.  

Once the WIG is defined, you can identify and work toward the leading indicators for achieving your WIG. The article What Is A Leading Indicator? What Are The Best Examples? provides helpful information on how to determine your leading indicators.  

But you may think it can feel impossible to work towards just one goal. 

Life at the Agency has what I refer to as “the undertow.” Just as soon as the doors open each morning and the phones turn on, they start ringing, people stop in, the emails start flowing and you’ve got countless tasks and activities to tackle. You have your prospecting calls to make and then there’s a claim to manage. Or, a billing issue that eats up your time. The day slips by – or pulls you under – before you’ve had time to even think about your goals. 

I get it. 

None of that we can change. 

It’s part of the gig. We all deal with that at varying levels. 

But what can take control of and change is where our focus lies regarding our WIG. 

If we commit to our WIG as our number one area of focus we will work differently. We will work more efficiently throughout the day. Do the actions 

It is about being intentional with our actions and activities to structure our day in the most efficient way possible. Around the most important objective that won’t be achieved unless it gets special attention.

All for One

The WIG is something we want our entire staff to be attuned to—everyone in the same boat, rowing in the same direction. 

Studies have shown that fewer than 15% of employees know what their employer’s Wildly Important Goal is. That’s less than 15 out of 100 employees. Companies either had too many goals or none. Let’s make sure YOUR business isn’t in that 15%.

The Big One

If you don’t yet have a WIG, this can be a great team-building and brainstorming exercise. But don’t cram too much into the WIG–it’s one thing.

To define your WIG, identify where you are now, where you want to be, and by when. 

Know it, and begin working in the mindset that you can accomplish more by doing less. It sounds a bit counterintuitive, right? Do less to achieve more.

When we focus on too many things, when we try to wear too many hats, when we try to be all things to all people, all the time, less actually gets done. 

Focus on only doing what is most crucial. This is your daily essential list.

New ideas and opportunities and systems will come your way – they should. You have to ask: Will it move me closer to my WIG? That is what helps you know if it deserves your time and energy now or later.

So you might be wondering what my Agency’s WIG is. 

We started as New Market in 2009 and, organically, we’ve grown to 4,900 Auto policies in force. We’re close to 5,000.

So at the time, I’m writing this (which is right after the beginning of the year) our Wildly Important Goal is the Drive for Five

Our team is focused on getting that five-thousandth Auto policy. 

We identified where we are (4,900 Auto policies). 

Where we want to be (5,000 Auto policies). 

And as for timeline…

I believe it’s important to keep goal timelines shorter than longer. When crucial deadlines are too far into the future it’s hard to keep the excitement and momentum going with the team. Deadlines too far out in the future feel like you’ll never get there or you procrastinate too long and find yourself in a crunch time as the deadline springs up on you, making it nearly impossible to reach. 

I set our Drive for Five WIG deadline for the end of the quarter. That’s 90 days to gain our 5,000th Auto policy. 

Is your agency optimized?

Are you consistently:

  • Connecting with key community influencers
  • Posting on social media
  • Having team meetings
  • Holding your team accountable
  • Staying on top of industry updates

You know what to do; you just need a hand. That’s where we come in.

> Schedule a demo now!

Go to Top