BHAGs: The Good, The Bad, and The UglyThe Delicate Balance of Inspiring Teams Without Risking Burnout

Remember BHAGs? Those Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals designed to spark bold thinking and drive growth? AKA: ambitious targets. They’ve long been used to motivate teams and push boundaries. But while BHAGs can lead to innovation, they also come with risks.  Let’s break down the good, the bad, and the ugly of BHAGs.

The Good: They Unlock Breakthroughs

The default for many organizations is to aim for safe, incremental growth. While this can sustain progress, it rarely sparks game-changing innovation required for high growth companies. 

A well-framed BHAG breaks this cycle by pushing teams to challenge the status quo, unlocking new ways of thinking.  Multiple times, I've seen the conversation evolve from ‘That’s crazy’ to ‘Well, what would it take’?

BHAGs force teams to push for the resources and strategies needed to make the impossible possible. At their best, they drive creativity, foster strategic shifts, and turn bold ideas into tangible results.

The Bad: Risk Overload

However, BHAGs aren’t a fit for every team or strategy. Growth requires a balance of risk levels. When targets are set too high, teams will need to abandon steady progress and take unnecessary risks to attempt to hit those goals.

Timelines also matter. BHAGs often demand a long-term commitment, but without clear short-term milestones, they are unattainable. The need to hit a very high short term goal, may mean a longer term, but better strategy gets abandoned.

The Ugly: Burnout and Unrealistic Expectations

If targets are constantly unreachable, they can demotivate rather than inspire. People need to feel successful to stay engaged.  They will start to ignore targets, which runs counter to their strategic purpose.

BHAGs often require large investments of time, energy, and resources. When teams stretch themselves too thin, they risk burnout and disengagement. If the big risk fails, the aftermath can be ugly—low morale, and a sense of failure, even when progress was made.

Rethinking BHAGs: How to Make Them Work

Should we give up on BHAGs? Not necessarily. Here’s how to use them wisely:

• Set Ambitious Yet Realistic Goals: Stretch your team, but make the goals achievable. Success, even if occasional, keeps momentum high.

• Balance Long-Term Vision with Short-Term Wins: Set large long term goals, but start with the smaller achievements it takes to get there. They help build the momentum needed to reach the BHAG.

• Use BHAGs Selectively: Not every team or project needs a BHAG. Apply them where they make sense.

Final Thoughts

BHAGs can be a powerful tool for driving strategic change and pushing teams beyond their limits. But they need to be used carefully. By setting ambitious but realistic goals, celebrating milestones, and staying flexible, you can harness the power of BHAGs—without falling into their traps.