The 3x(3) Formula to Invigorate Your 2025
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As we melt into that “what day is it” period between Xmas and New Year’s, I wanted to share a 3x formula for goal setting you can mull over the holidays. While this is a corporate version, I use a modified one for my personal life, and you can read more about it here.??
?The 3X Formula in Corporate Goal-Setting?
This formula solves one of the most common complaints in corporate goal setting and resourcing: that day-to-day operational tasks and people working hard not to miss them aren't getting the recognition they deserve compared to colleagues tasked with shiny new projects. Even worse, sometimes companies pull resources from these operational tasks, which can jeopardize their stability and incur unnecessary risks.
On the other hand, leaders should also encourage opportunities to scale and innovate. So, how can you set goals that adequately recognize the ongoing efforts to maintain stable infrastructure while nurturing growth initiatives? You can start by thinking of your company’s and team’s goals in three groups:?
Second, based on the company's growth phase or your team’s remit, decide how much of your efforts and resources should be spent on each type of goal (columns 1 and 4 below). A mature company or one trying to stabilize in a volatile market may spend most of its resources on operational goals with some efforts into growth initiatives that can help it maintain competitiveness.??
Then, you can customize it further for each individual/function/level. For instance, a controller in company 1, with stable growth, should be incentivized to prioritize day-to-day responsibilities (column 2?below) and encouraged to identify opportunities to make existing processes more efficient, but never to the detriment of their operational duties.?Their performance evaluation should recognize the importance of this.
On the other hand, a corporate strategy director will likely need to prioritize growth-oriented tasks (column 3 below), some operational tasks (e.g., ongoing market analysis), and an analysis of potential moonshot opportunities (~10%).?This mix can shift based on the type of growth, level/scope of responsibilities, and risk appetite.
Even in operational roles, innovation should be nurtured through Growth or Aspirational goals. Employees who handle the daily tasks are in the best position to develop realistic ideas and processes essential for the company's ongoing modernization and upkeep. The key here is not to deprioritize operational goals; instead, you empower the employees to surface opportunities.
The percentages can shift towards more growth and aspirational?if the entire company is in a tremendous growth phase, say, Series B going into C, and needs all functions to scale to the next inflection point (columns 5 and 6 below). Even the operational functions will need to prioritize scaling their processes while delivering day-to-day tasks (column 5). Growth functions such as sales will pull the team towards aggressive growth targets, which should be reflected in their goals mix (column 6), and even the operational functions will need to prioritize scaling their processes to enable that growth (column 5).
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When done well, the end product will show that every goal type is necessary across the team and how each employee fits into the broader company goal. While shiny projects attract attention, resources should not be diverted from operational functions in favor of "interesting projects" or performance reviews unfairly skewed toward creativity and entrepreneurship to the detriment of employees who keep the company humming. This formula can help guide this discussion and show how each member is integral in delivering overall success.?
Now, the more fun part, the 3X3
The fun part is applying this thinking to our personal lives. I have used a permutation of this in combination with a themes mindset and found it helpful in ensuring I am not over-investing in one area of my life (we are usually guilty of gravitating towards professional goals) and that I am expending adequate energy and effort into staying inspired, recognizing my hard work (aka being kind to myself), and not forgetting to have fun. My 2025 draft isn’t done yet, but check out the 3X3 method here so you can start working on yours.??
Before I go, I wanted to share a recent piece I wrote about Resilience. Reflecting on the tumultuous year we all undoubtedly had, I learned that resilience is a skill we can all cultivate. I spent 2024 working on Physical, Intellectual, and Emotional resilience, and I wanted to share what that experience looked like. I have emerged as a much stronger person (literally and figuratively), and I would love to hear how your 2024 went and how you practice resilience.??
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“Monthly Highlights,” where I share insightful, fun, memorable events from every month to give you more context of what inspires my writing topics. If you have NYC or trip recommendations, send them my way!?Check out my November Highlights.
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