Goal tree – hierarchical visual representation of goal achievement; the principle in which the main goal is achieved through a combination of secondary and additional goals.

The method of constructing a goal visibility tree has long been established in planning production processes. And naturally, it has acquired a huge number of terms (life cycle, delegation of authority, etc.). This blog is dedicated to, not the concept of development of a large enterprise - therefore, I take the liberty to show simple structure tree of goals with an example of its implementation.

So, the tree method for constructing goals:

From the diagram, I think it’s clear why it’s called Tree of Goals.

Description:

Main goal– this is what we want as a result, our finish, our successful implementation of the goal.

Goals 1, 2, 3…- secondary goals that contribute to the implementation of the main goal, naturally, and in order to achieve secondary goals - you may have to still fulfill, one step down the hierarchy, - goals a And b(That is, like a real tree - there is one pillar and several large branches, which also contain several more branches, but smaller ones... etc., etc.)

Moreover, secondary goals can be like components to achieve the main goal (without their successful implementation, there is no way to achieve the main goal), and additional(can be done, but not advisable).

What is the strength

This type of goal setting is very suitable for creating life guidelines, very large, global ones for your entire life, life mission. It is not suitable for one-day tasks, as well as for small, albeit necessary, purposes.

If you need to clearly imagine the purpose of your life or a very complex and necessary big goal, its place is at the beginning of the hierarchy of the tree.

An example of a goal tree. Step-by-step instructions in a particular case:

One of the most sought-after goals for many people is financial well-being. Here's how it's done.

If you want to present it, you can use Microsoft Office Word -> Insert -> SmatrArt, or a similar program. If for yourself, I strongly recommend that you do it manually – i.e. use (sheet of blank paper + pen or pencil).

1. We set our global goal: Financial well-being.

So we write at the very top:

2. Draw branches - secondary goals

Let's imagine that we have already achieved it - and, as it were, “remember” what was needed for this. — are also appropriate.

Financial well-being is a good flow of money in my direction. Where is the money flowing towards me? (don't forget, we are in the visualization matrix :))

Each person may have his own idea of ​​what wealth is. Here and further I will “promote” my own.

First of all cash flow can be associated with both passive and active investment. And just in case, there are many miracles in life, maybe...

A random chance is to raise optimism, and a subtle hint that I don’t know everything, and there may be things that contribute to achieving the main goal, but I’m still too young to know about them.

Now all of the above - again using the method of visualizing goals or your already gained experience... We work through and add to each subordinate branch...

This is what I ended up with:

Very often in companies you can see the strategy in the form of a weighty document containing a lot of heterogeneous information, while responsibility for achieving the strategy is assigned only to the CEO. I'll look at how to formalize and digitize a strategy by creating a goal tree, assigning people responsible for achieving goals, defining metrics to measure progress towards achieving goals, and defining a program of projects that will ensure the strategy is achieved.

History of the management by objectives approach

The technology of management by objectives has serious founders and long history development. The concept of management by objectives (MBO) was introduced into business practice back in 1954 by Peter Drucker. Management by objectives is based on the formalized goals of the company, the goals of the company's employees, as well as regular procedures for assessing progress in achieving goals.

According to Peter Drucker's technology, management by objectives is built in accordance with five basic principles. The first principle involves developing goals down to the level of each employee, while the employee’s goals should directly follow from the goals of the organization. The second principle states that goal development uses top-down goal granularity from the strategy level to the employee level, as well as bottom-up goal aggregation to link employee goals to company goals. The third principle involves interaction between the manager and the employee when formulating goals, rather than simply communicating the set goals to the employee without the possibility of discussing and adjusting them. The fourth principle requires regularly assessing progress towards goals and analyzing feedback from employees. Well, the fifth involves using the SMART principle when formalizing goals.

Goal tree - construction

So what is the goal? The goal is the desired state of the company over the strategic planning horizon, which can vary from one to ten years depending on the industry and size of the company. In fact, the company's mission and the owner's vision are the basis for building a tree of goals, which is detailed "top-down" from the mission according to the principle of "what does it mean?"

The concept of a “goal tree” was first proposed by C. Churchman and R. Ackoff in 1957 and is a structuring tool used to determine and formalize the target state of a company and create a program for its development.

A goal tree is a structured set of goals of an organization, built on a hierarchical principle, in which the main goal (mission), as well as the subgoals of the first, second and subsequent levels of detail, are identified.

When constructing a tree of goals in practice, it is necessary to take into account that a goal will be achieved when all its subgoals are achieved, thus ensuring the completeness of goal setting and the coherence of goals between levels.

According to the technology, the tree of goals is formed “top-down”, level by level, until it becomes possible to “digitize” the goal with indicators, as well as appoint a responsible employee for its achievement. In practice, the goal tree is often limited to two or three levels of detail, because when formalizing goals, the main thing is to stop in time so as not to go into excessive detail.

This is the difference from the “classical” approach of Peter Drucker, which involves communicating the goal to every employee. In projects, it can be difficult to “drag” goals to the level of heads of key departments, and not to each ordinary employee.

Therefore, the detailing of the goal tree stops after a person responsible for the goal has been assigned, the goal has become measurable using an indicator, and projects aimed at achieving this goal have been formed.

Goal tree - grouping

When constructing a goal tree, it is necessary to initially observe some order of structuring or grouping goals to ensure the completeness and consistency of the created goal tree. You can use several grouping options, some group goals according to the PDCA cycle, others group them by business processes, but based on project experience we can say with confidence that the following two options are the most convenient.

The first option involves grouping goals according to the perspectives of the balanced scorecard - BSC (finance, customers, processes, training and development) and is most often applicable for commercial companies. The second option is more often used in government agencies and large holdings and involves grouping goals into a tree in accordance with organizational structure, for example, for deputy general directors, which facilitates subsequent coordination of the tree of goals in the organization.

Determining the rules for grouping goals allows you to establish “order” when creating a tree of goals, as well as check the completeness of goal setting. As an example, when using the BSC perspective grouping, gaps may be identified in terms of customer focus, internal business process development, or staff training and development. In fact, you can see that Russian business is sometimes guided by the joke: “In order for a cow to eat less and give more milk, it needs to be fed less and milked more.”

To verify the completeness of the constructed tree of goals, you can additionally conduct a SWOT analysis of the company, which allows you to identify those goals that might have been missed during goal setting, but in practice this is not always done.

Is SMART always possible?

If we talk about the rules for formalizing goals, then on the one hand, the SMART technology was created precisely for this, but in practice it is not always possible to adhere to it 100 percent. It is not immediately possible to achieve measurable goals, for example, on the upper “floors” of the goal tree; their measurement may require many indicators, and when the goal is initially formulated, it is simply impossible to immediately determine the list of indicators.

If we turn to examples, the goal “Increase sales by 20% annually” is often quite sufficient for further discussion and detail, while a goal formulated using SMART may look like this: “The commercial director will increase sales by 20% annually, for by entering the Chinese market with new products in the field of online learning.”

The generality of wording in the tree of goals will be replenished later, when the goals are detailed and when a model of the goal environment is built, in which the following will be determined: indicators and their actual and planned values; algorithms for calculating indicators and sources of information collection, employees responsible for achieving goals; projects aimed at achieving goals.

Indicators are used to assess progress in achieving the set goal, and they show how much we have moved in implementing the strategy, and which managers can be paid a bonus for this and which cannot. A large number of indicators for measuring the degree of achievement of goals often leads to the need for serious modification of the management accounting system and serious labor costs for data collection, and that is why a maximum of 2-3 indicators are tied to each goal, which are selected according to the Pareto principle, taking into account the possibility of their calculation on the basis of the existing one. the company has a management accounting system.

The next step, after digitizing the goal with indicators and appointing a responsible employee, is the formation of projects aimed at achieving the goals themselves. At the same time, to achieve one goal, several projects can be formed, for which it is necessary to indicate the deadlines for their implementation.

Thus, as a result, a tree of goals should be formalized, indicators with actual and planned values ​​are “linked” to each goal, those responsible for achieving goals and indicators should be assigned, and a project program aimed at achieving the goals and, consequently, achieving the strategy should be formed. All that remains is to start implementing projects and introduce new indicators into the system of motivating responsible employees.

Is it worth building a balanced scorecard (BSC)

The next step in digitizing the strategy is to build a balanced scorecard (BSC) using Norton and Kaplan technology. BSC allows you to level out the lack of a management system by goals and balance goals and indicators relative to each other.
For example, the goal tree may contain two contradictory friends friend goals: “Reduce the development time of a new product” and “Reduce the costs of developing a new product”, the priorities between which will be determined manually when determining priorities between projects.

BSC allows you to determine project priorities through algorithms for balancing goals and indicators according to prospects based on expert assessments, as well as as a result of analysis of the correlation of actual indicator values. However, in practice one can see the complexity of BSC algorithms, and although in Russia there are many positive examples of its construction, there are even more unsuccessful examples.

Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the management maturity of a particular company in order to understand to what extent it can implement and use BSC technology, because very often it is quite enough to use a tree of goals with indicators, projects and responsibilities, without using BSC with its complex algorithms.

The project initiation stage can be implemented in different configurations of procedures and documents. But regardless of the scale and focus of the project task, when preparing the charter, responsible managers should initially determine the goals of the project. The tree of goals for a project task serves as a visual form of structuring the customer’s intentions and as a tool for developing an idea into a management object. To correctly create such a hierarchy, you need a certain understanding and skill. This is what we will do in this article.

Problems and goals as engines of development

The task of constructing a tree of goals in practical implementation is one of the most difficult in management. The tree of goals is an act of creativity that can only be approached systematically and with a great desire to overcome all the accompanying difficulties, including those of a psychological nature. The real topic we will look at it from two sides: from the position of common sense and from the point of view of high theory. Let's start with everyday perception.

Imagine any unique problem you need to solve in as soon as possible. For example, improving living conditions. Let's consider this example as a prototype of the project. If you take a sheet of paper and write in the column headings: “dream”, “goal”, “task” and “problem”, then an associative series will definitely line up and certain images will arise. Try to do this for real.

If you did this, then we are already halfway to the project goal tree. I'll tell you a secret. This is exactly how, in my experience, any business development projects are born. First, the initiator has an image of a dream in his head, then it is concretized into goals and objectives, problems “slip” into his consciousness, which can become intrusive or be cast aside as doubts. If you transfer the associative images onto paper, you will get the diagram that is presented below.

Universal Controls Model

Using our example and reflecting on the associations, one can detect obvious trends in conceptual dynamics. From a dream to a problem, the positive, being lost, moves from a “rainbow” to a black and white picture. The problem is as concrete as possible, it is “here and now,” tasks and goals gradually lose their concreteness, moving into the future, while the dream is distant and vague. Thus, three differently directed vectors are observed.

1. The fading of negativity and the growth of positivity.
2. Increased specificity.
3. Moving into the future.

How does this relate to projects and the goal tree? In my opinion, the connection is significant. But, proceeding in order, let us first give definitions to the concepts under consideration. I understand a dream as a metaphorical forerunner of the prototypes of vision and mission in business. I cannot give a decent definition of mission, but I perceive it well through the metaphor of dreams. A goal is what a business (project) is started for, a certain object of intention that a person or company seeks to achieve. The metaphor for a goal is a shooting target, and the official definition of the concept in project management is given below.

Determining the purpose of the project, program. Source: NTK

I propose to understand a task as a management tool that corresponds to compliance with five parameters (quantified result, deadline, director, responsible resource, documented form). The essence of this concept is revealed in an article on the topic. A problem is an uncertainty or contradiction that arises in management; its elimination is impossible within the framework of the current management concept.

Correlation of problems and goals in the construction of hierarchies

Paradoxically, the conceptual dynamics presented above are universal both for ordinary consciousness and in the case of large business. The reason is that decision makers are human, and nothing human is alien to them. Understanding the tree of project goals, I cannot help but touch upon the issue of business problems, because the problem and the goal are social life, as in business, are closely related. In this regard, the works of I.V. deserve attention. Bestuzhev-Lada and his colleagues.

The scientific works of this author are devoted to social modeling and forecasting. However, it is easy enough to draw parallels between social problems, goals and the same objects in the business environment. By the way, I consider problems, goals, and objectives as means of managing a business in general and projects in particular. Let's return to social forecasting. U I.V. Bestuzhev-Lada has a very interesting model called a problem-target diamond, its diagram is given below.

The definition of the problem given at the end of the previous section primarily relates to the formation of strategic goals. It's about about a certain root business problem that requires a literally change in management concept or strategic transformation to resolve the contradiction. Therefore, the strategic goal is always associated with a key problem, and it is further decomposed down into sub-goals, which are followed by the decomposed problems. However, in theory management decisions It is believed that at lower management levels there are no longer problems, but only tasks. We can partially agree with this.

At the same time, small problems give rise to large ones, which means that the key problem can also be decomposed, or, as I.V. Bestuzhev-Lada, disaggregated. A very valuable remark is that the line of contact between goals and problems is at the grassroots level - where specificity is maximum. According to the scientist, the construction of a tree of goals comes from the top, and the maturation of the root problem begins with a broad base of small difficulties. My position is that a split always occurs at the highest levels of decision-making, which then gradually goes down, becoming more and more obvious in lower-level problems.

But in general, the idea of ​​a problem-target diamond is constructive and undoubtedly deserves development. It is so good that I wanted to support the scientist’s plan, because indeed, problems, tasks and goals are categories of the same managerial nature, means of management, as has already been noted. These objects belong to different planar slices, all three of which can be represented in the form of a scan and as a three-dimensional trihedral pyramid with a “cloud” mission at the top.

Planar development of trees of goals, tasks and problems

Pyramid of tasks, goals and problems

Pyramid of project goals and objectives

Let us summarize some of the previous sections. The universal context of any management is reliance on three types of means: goals, objectives and problems. All of them are built into tree-type architectures (having descending branches, like trees). The lower (branched) levels of the trees of goals, tasks and problems gravitate towards each other. Three flat pyramids of the named trees are always present in management, having a single foundation, they are parallel.

However, only the goal tree can be most fully built, because this is the simplest procedure of the three. Genuine tasks are most easily formulated at the top level of the corresponding tree, but it is most difficult to find responsible resources (performers) for them. The root problem at the top level of the problem tree is extremely difficult to discern because it is hidden behind many facts and events that are just symptoms.

And only when the tree of goals can be expanded to a level, and the lower goal achieves an unambiguous result, resources appear for it, and among them are responsible resources (personnel), the lower-level problems begin to naturally “fall off.” The intention gains strength, events begin to line up in a logical sequence, and the “puzzles” of tasks become more high level– develop into a harmonious picture of results leading to the goal.

Therefore, in the project management paradigm, the combined pyramid of goals and objectives looks like a triangle, the upper part of which is crowned by the mission and strategic goals of the project, and the lower part is determined by the tasks and stages of the project, based on the work. You just need to remember that tasks, goals and problems are static categories. They already exist here and now (problems) and are built in the future as certain event-resulting points, adequate in understanding: achieved or not achieved (tasks and goals). At the same time, stages and works are dynamic, procedural categories, they are valuable in their internal content, have a beginning and an end, management and implementation mechanisms (IDF0 methodology).

Pyramid model of project goals and objectives

The hierarchical model of the organization and the project model are identical in nature. A company's activities begin with a vision and mission, regardless of formalization. The company's strategic goals are structured and, at a lower level, represent a list of strategic initiatives and activities, some of which are development projects. The upper part of the project model is related to the company's strategy; its blocks are the project mission and the tree of project implementation goals. The tree of goals is built from the top of the strategic goals of the project to goals of such a level of development at which the project team and its members can take responsibility for the results. Based on the presented logic, it is already possible to detail the method of forming a tree and describe the rules that must be observed.

Project goal tree methodology

Often the concept of a goal tree is replaced by the image of a pyramid of goals and objectives. Indeed, this can happen when the project is of a small scale. In this case, the goal tree as such is simply absent as unnecessary; it can well be replaced by a hierarchical structure of work, because there are only one or three project goals, no more. However, if the project task is large and large-scale, then there is a direct need to develop a tree of goals. Below is an example of such a project and the hierarchy of goals developed for it. This is a project for the construction of a trade and logistics center in the city of N.

Example of a project goal tree

The goal tree method consists of dividing the strategic goal of the project into a group of goals more low level so that the implementation of lower-level goals automatically leads to the achievement of higher ones. This method determines the conditions for sequential passage of levels in the process of breaking down goals, called decomposition by depth and breadth. For of this instrument I do not recommend a tree depth of more than three levels, and a width of more than four subordinate positions. Let's consider the main stages of building a goal tree.

1. Convene working group for the project goal setting procedure.
2. Clarify the strategic goal of the company that the project follows.
3. Formulate the mission of the project in accordance with the following strategic goal of the project.
4. Set and set goals for the first level of nesting. During brainstorming and using methods of logical structuring (localization) of the research object to form a set of goal hypotheses. Logical structuring methods include the Ishikawa diagram, the test questions, synectics method, etc. The goal is usually formulated in a qualitative format, starting with a verb indeterminate form: improve, provide, perform, create, implement, etc.
5. Identify current limitations and analyze options for goal formulations.
6. Adjust the wording and composition of the goals of the first level of nesting, applying logical rules for dividing concepts. Such rules can be found in any logic textbook. These include: division of goals on a single chosen basis, pairwise incompatibility of divisible goals, exhaustion of the scope of the original concept, continuity and proportionality of division.
7. Ask the question: “Will achieving these goals really lead to the success of the project’s strategic goal?” If “No”, then repeat points 4, 5, 6 and the question in point 7. If “Yes”, then go to point 8.
8. For each goal of the first level, repeat steps 4-7.

Creating a tree of goals, as well as a tree of tasks, is a unique creative skill for which, unfortunately, theories do not work well enough and practice is required. Here, as they say, only a “cartload of mistakes” will help, which you should not be afraid to make. The theory and algorithm for such work are outlined in our article, and I can only wish you to go through this difficult experience and search for your own revelations. And there is nothing wrong with the fact that the result at first will not please you very much, because even a not entirely correct hierarchy is always better than an absent one.

The goal tree technique was developed in the mid-20th century by Russell Ackoff. It is actively used in modern business planning and psychology personal growth. In this article we will tell you how to achieve results using tree modeling.

What does the diagram look like?

The goal tree is graphic image set of tasks (company or specific person), visualization of achieving the desired result. The name was chosen because the structure has a hierarchical appearance, similar to upside-down tree branches. The main trunk is the goal for which the composition is built; branches come from it (subgoals that are less important, but necessary to achieve the final result).

organization goal tree

Why do you need a graphical representation of goals?

The tree helps to identify the overall picture of the relationship between events and assess their importance at a particular stage.

If you are building a model for an organization, then with it you:

• coordinate the activities of all departments;
• increase the responsibility of performers;
• You will clearly control the discipline and timing of project implementation;
• consider the possibility of change;
• ensure effective information management processes.

The Personal Goals Tree will help you:

• use time effectively;
• make your dream come true;
• understand priorities;
• prepare for unforeseen situations.

Graphical presentation criteria

The relationship picture should meet the following principles:

• specification - describe the parameters by which you will ultimately determine whether the goal has been achieved;
• compatibility - each of the subgoals must be related to the main task;
• subordination - all long-term goals cannot be achieved without setting short-term ones, tactical ones - without strategic ones; the hierarchy of time is important;
• relative importance - goals of the same level have different degrees of importance for the main task, this allows them to be ranked by time of achievement and priority of execution.

goal tree example

How to build a model?

Prepare your workspace

Take a large sheet of paper, multi-colored pens and pencils, and a ruler. If you are a follower modern technologies, use computer modeling programs.

State your main goal

A strategic task is the top of the tree, a global and complex plan (increasing the company's annual revenue, a trip to the sea). It answers the questions: “What do I (the company) want to achieve in the end?”, “What do I want to achieve?”, “What is my dream?” Formulate clearly and concisely. The intent should be:

• specific;
• measurable;
• achievable;
• have a clear deadline (month, year);
• significant.

Write down subgoals and conditions

To achieve the main intention, it will be necessary to solve additional problems and consider the conditions conducive to achieving the result. Ask the question: “What needs to be done for goal number 1 to be achieved?”, “What conditions contribute to the solution main task?. Describe each branch clearly and in detail. Subgoals should contribute to the implementation of the main plan. If, after completing them, additional resources are required to solve the main task, most likely you have constructed the diagram incorrectly.

Highlight indirect and independent connections

In this life, not everything depends on us, but we need to clearly understand what we can influence and what we cannot. Write down everything, even the most incredible scenarios.

effective goal tree

Complete the ranks

Repeat the procedures described above as many times as necessary. You need to build a hierarchy until you reach a small task that is easy to complete. Don't despair if you realize that you don't have enough resources to achieve results. Use the diagram to analyze the situation. You will see vulnerabilities and things that need to be worked on more actively.

Model example

To help you understand how to apply the algorithm in practice, let’s look at an example of constructing a graph to achieve financial well-being.

Main goal

The main task is to increase annual income (answers the question “What do I want to get in the end?” and has a specific deadline, that is, it meets all the criteria).

Conditions for achievement

You can increase your finances in the following ways:

• active income (we mean regular payments to you - from the employer, margin from the business);
• passive income (we mean interest-bearing deposits, profitable shares);
• chance and luck (receiving an inheritance, winning the lottery).

From these three main branches, start drawing additional ones:

• possible change of job;
• getting an education;
• moving to another city;
• self-development;
• establishing relationships with management;
• opening a deposit in a bank;
• acquisition of shares of a stable enterprise;
• purchasing lottery tickets;
• investments in attractive projects.

Complete the plan

Your tree can contain as many tasks and branches as you like, the main thing is that in the end it fully describes the plan for solving the problem.

Planning activities using the goal tree method is a convenient and effective solution for business and personal development. This method will provide answers to questions that seem insoluble at first glance and will help determine the priority of tasks. If you doubt your modeling skills, start with a small task and hone your skills to simple example. By following the advice in our article, you will soon be able to model a complex process and implement it effectively.

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It is difficult to say who first coined this term “goal tree”. Lincoln Ackoff, as many point out... Or Brian Tracy under the term limitogram... Or the developer of the first mental maps... But that doesn’t matter. The main thing is that someone smart came up with an excellent structure for planning life and increasing efficiency and called it the “tree of human goals.”

By the way, there is also a “tree of enterprise goals” - the essence is the same, but the analysis is deeper. And in general, the principle of the tree of goals is suitable for solving practically any problems and tasks. Structure:

• makes the complex transparent;
• suggests optimal solutions;
• allows you to optimize time.

How does this happen?

Tree of human goals: diagram, graph, map

Creating a goal tree begins with identifying a problem for which you need to find a solution.

The problem is the trunk of the structure.

The “branches” of the plant being built will represent tasks—the steps that need to be taken to achieve goals or neutralize difficulties.

Branches – subgoals, stages, actions.

The tree is built upside down and looks like a diagram in which:

• at the top (“trunk”) – problem
• below and to the sides (“crown”) – solution diagrams

Advantages of the Goal Tree

The technique allows you to clearly and clearly separate any major project to a set of sequential actions, the implementation of which will lead to the goal.

The system has huge advantages over any other types of planning:

Rules for constructing a goal tree

The development of the structure of a tree of human goals is carried out in a certain sequence:

1. First, the main task/problem/goal is set. Most often, it is unattainable in one action, so it needs to draw a “crown”.

Example: admission to a university.

1. Each broad branch below is a subgoal. The penultimate step leading to achieving the goal.

Example: choosing a university, submitting documents, passing exams, moving if you are studying abroad.

1. Small branches are the main steps to achieve each subsequent stage.

Example: to submit documents you need to make copies of some of them, take a photo, and fill out an application.

The correct solution for any goal tree would be the following marks:

• about time restrictions;
• about the necessary resources;
• about additional and very small steps.

All that is required , can and should be used here.

The successive steps crystallized with the help of the tree of goals should subsequently be included in the daily plan and destroyed either as your own or by others. The smaller the stages of achieving goals, the easier it is to reach the final result.

Building a goal tree is not a complicated process, but it is very important. Because it forces you to think about the future through small tasks and move only forward. Act and be effective.

Brian Tracy writes about this in his book “Leave Disgust and Eat the Frog.”

The more clearly we see and perceive the future, our global goals, the faster we will reach them.

Have you tried to draw problems as goal trees? What was the result?