Rule #2: The battles you choose must win the war
Align WIGs with higher-level goals
Rule #2 is about aligning WIGs with higher-level goals. The sole purpose of WIGs at lower levels in the organization is to help achieve the WIGs at higher levels. It isn't enough that the lower-level WIGs support or align with the higher WIGs. The lower-level WIGs must ensure the success of the higher WIGs.
- Align WIGs with higher-level goals
- Ensure lower-level WIGs support higher-level WIGs
- Prioritize goals based on impact and urgency
- Identify the higher-level WIGsDetermine the higher-level WIGs that can make the greatest impact and require a disproportionate amount of energy. Ask the question: 'If every other area of our operation remained at its current level of performance, what is the one area where change would have the greatest impact?'Pro tipUse the 80/20 rule to identify the higher-level WIGs that will have the greatest impactWarningBe careful not to choose higher-level WIGs that are too broad or too narrow
- Align lower-level WIGs with higher-level WIGsAlign lower-level WIGs with higher-level WIGs. Use the 'focus filter' to evaluate ideas and tasks based on their impact on the main goal.Pro tipUse the'stop doing' list to identify tasks and ideas that can be eliminatedWarningBe careful not to align lower-level WIGs that are not critical to the success of the higher-level WIGs
- Ensure lower-level WIGs support higher-level WIGsEnsure lower-level WIGs support higher-level WIGs. This will help achieve the higher-level WIGs and ensure success.Pro tipUse the 'governor' concept to limit the number of WIGs and maintain focusWarningBe careful not to ensure lower-level WIGs that are not aligned with the higher-level WIGs
The Internet financial services provider is an example of Rule #2 in action. By aligning lower-level WIGs with higher-level WIGs, the provider was able to achieve significant success and ensure the success of the higher-level WIGs.
The concept of Rule #2 was developed by the authors through their experience working with organizations and leaders. They found that many teams were struggling to achieve their goals due to lack of focus and too many priorities. By applying the principles of Rule #2, teams can overcome these challenges and achieve greater success.