
What separates BHAGs from what most companies do is their lofty spirit and time frame. Many businesses set goals that describe what they hope to accomplish over the coming days, months or years. These goals help align employees of the business to work together more effectively and are often very tactical, for example, to "achieve 10% revenue growth in the next 3 months."
In contrast, Collins and Porras state that BHAGs are "...an audacious 10-to-30-year goal to progress towards an envisioned future." A true BHAG is clear and compelling, serves as unifying focal point of effort, and acts as a clear catalyst for employees to champion. It has a clear finish line, so the organization can know when it has achieved the goal; people like to shoot for finish lines."
For more details on BHAGs, check out the article "How to Achieve Big Hairy Audacious Goals" from Inc. magazine and hopefully you’ll be able to use these thoughts to get you on your path toward a BHAG! Put a stake in the ground that 2014 is your year to achieve what matters most.