Strategic Planning Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

What Is A Goals Grid For Strategic Planning?

A goals grid is a relatively simple technique to help you think more clearly about organizational and company goals, particularly when you are doing strategic planning.

Fred Nickols, in a well-written article on the topic, explains that the goals grid is intended to help you answer the following questions:

1. What are we really up to here?
2. Do we have all the bases covered?
3. What are we overlooking?
4. Have we adequately thought this thing through?
5. How do our various goals and objectives relate to one another?
6. What do the patterns tell us about our willingness to risk, to change?
7. Are we in conflict with others?

The goals grid itself is a box with four quadrants in it - a goals matrix, if you prefer that term. You classify goals according to two dimensions using a Yes/No system. Each goal falls within one of the boxes depending on the answers to the following questions:

1. What do you want that you don't have? (Achieve)
2. What do you want that you already have? (Preserve)
3. What don't you have that you don't want? (Avoid)
4. What do you have now that you don't want? (Eliminate)