Don’t Tell Them What To Do—Let Them Show You How To Win
When global shoe retailer FastStep set a corporate WIG to “increase online sales from $50M to $75M by December,” regional managers groaned—they knew local market needs were different. FastStep’s leader realized she had two choices: dictate local targets or involve the regions in setting them.
They chose involvement. Each region held a 4DX workshop, brainstormed wildly important goals that would directly drive online conversion in their markets, and proposed “from X to Y by when” targets. The global team vetoed only the few that didn’t align—like “launch a pop-up store,” which didn’t directly grow web sales.
Within weeks, each region committed to clear goals they owned: “increase mobile add-to-cart rate from 12% to 18% by Sept 30.” Focusing at the local level activated regional teams, and in six months, global online sales climbed 40%—outpacing industry averages.
When people choose what they’ll accomplish, they build commitment. Senior leaders guide the direction, but real energy ignites where the front line takes ownership of goals that tie back to the big strategy.
Begin with your top organizational goals, then invite each team to propose one WIG that ensures the big objectives succeed. Hold a workshop to vet these proposals, respectfully veto only misaligned targets, and lock in team WIGs with clear finish lines. Limit each team to two WIGs so they can sustain focus—teams will move faster when they own their own goals.
What You'll Achieve
You’ll foster true engagement by giving teams authority over their goals while maintaining strategic alignment. Externally, this drives faster results and empowers local innovation that scales across the organization.
Cascade Goals from Top to Front Line
Translate top WIGs to team objectives
List your organization’s highest-level goals, then ask each department to define one WIG that ensures the bigger goals succeed. Encourage local insight to own the target.
Allow veto but avoid dictation
As senior leader, reserve the right to veto misaligned team WIGs, but never dictate them. Genuine ownership comes when teams choose their own battlefield battles.
Validate finish-line clarity
Ensure each team WIG follows the “X to Y by when” formula and ties directly to the top-level WIG. Test clarity by asking, “Would everyone know we won or lost?”
Limit to three per team
Enforce the rule that no team owns more than two or three WIGs at a time. This protects focus and prevents goal overload at any level of the organization.
Reflection Questions
- How can I involve my department heads in defining their own WIGs?
- What criteria will I use to veto misaligned goals without crushing ownership?
- Which two WIGs can each team realistically own right now?
- How will I communicate the link between team WIGs and company strategy?
- What governance process will we use to keep team WIGs aligned over time?
Personalization Tips
- In a sales org: HQ sets a 20% revenue growth WIG—regional teams define their own “from X to Y by when” targets that add up to the corporate goal.
- In a school: District WIG to raise literacy rates—each school picks one initiative, like “increase library visits from 1 to 3 per student per month.”
- In a nonprofit: National WIG to reduce homelessness by 10%—local chapters choose WIGs like “secure 50 new shelter beds by year’s end.”
The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals
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