OGSM is a strategic planning method that creates a concise one-page plan to help achieve goals and dreams. It stands for Objective, Goals, Strategies, and Measures. The Objective defines the overall aim, while Goals quantify targets. Strategies describe specific approaches to meet Goals. Measures include a Dashboard of key performance indicators and an Action Plan of projects and tasks needed to execute Strategies. OGSM provides an effective framework to concretize plans and make them actionable for both individuals and organizations.

1. What is OGSM?
OGSM Explained
OGSM is a strategic planning method that helps you concretize your plans, dreams
and ideas and make them achievable. What’s unique about OGSM is that it’s fast and
effective, leading to a plan on one page. OGSM can be used for organizations or
individual life goals. More than simply creating a plan, OGSM also guides you through
the steps to make your goals actionable: because realizing your dreams is even more
fun than dreaming them.
What can you use the OGSM model for?
OGSM is commonly referred to as a business planning method, but you can use it for
any type of plan: department plans, annual plans, project plans, personal plans and
any other plans. Essentially, OGSM takes a clear goal and subsequently translates
this goal into concrete steps and a way to execute them. It’s a uniquely simple, well-
structured and effective method that you can use to achieve any goal without
unnecessary complexity.
What does OGSM stand for?
OGSM is short for Objective, Goals, Strategies & Measures. Together these
components form the basis of a good and effective business plan on 1 page.
Objective
The ‘O’ in OGSM stands for ‘Objective’. The objective is the qualitative aim and
ambition of the plan. The Objective describes the conditions that you want to achieve
during the agreed-upon time period. The Objective sets the direction for the whole
plan.
Goals
If the Objective is a qualitative ambition, Goals are a translation of that ambition into
quantitative targets. This ensures that all stakeholders of the OGSM have the same
definition of the words from the objective. When you achieve all your Goals, the
Objective should also be realised.

2. Ideally, you want to use the lowest possible number of goals that are necessary to
make it indisputable that you achieved the Objective of the OGSM. Make sharp and
critical choices for Goals that are truly important and make sure the Goals are
‘SMART’: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound.
Strategies
Strategies describe the specific choices you make and approaches you’ve selected to
realize your Goals. These should describe how you focus your resources, such as
employees, money and time. Similar to the goals, it is important to choose critically
and ensure the Strategies reflect real choices in areas relevant to your plan, for
example organization, partners, innovations, etc. You want to focus on a limited
number of Strategies and ensure they are specific, selective, sustainable,
synchronized, and sufficient.
The component of OGSM called ‘Measures’ really consists of two separate elements:
a ‘Dashboard’ and an ‘Action Plan’. TThe Dashboard includes key performance
indicators that tell you whether or not a strategy is on track; The Action Plan includes
the projects or actions that enable the practical realization of your strategies, as well
as data on who & when will execute them