The GOSPA of Planning

One of the main challenges when defining plans is the lack of a simple and common model that can be used to summarize and share plans. I learned a useful method in the early 2010s called GOSPA. The CMO I worked for at the time used to ask me ‘Send me your GOSPA’ whenever he wanted to review and discuss my plans. I still use the model regularly as a useful tool in my planning toolbelt. 

GOSPA stands for Goals, Objectives, Strategies, Plan, and Actions.

Goals—these are the high-level things you want to achieve. They define the end state of your plan or journey and should be easy to describe and communicate. Examples of Goals:

• Growing the business.
• Lowering cost.
• Improving productivity.

Objectives—are specific sub-goals, the things that help you understand and measure when you are achieving your goals. Ideally, these are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). You may have multiple objectives for each goal. Examples of objectives include:

• Achieve a 10% increase in revenue by the end of Q2.
• Reduce the cost of customer acquisition by 4% before the end of the year.
• Increase sales rep productivity by 8% by the next fiscal year.

You may choose to include current state measures and descriptions as well, if needed.

Strategies—outline how we will allocate and prioritize resources and assets to position ourselves optimally for achieving our goals and objectives

Strategies—outline how we will allocate and prioritize resources and assets to position ourselves optimally for achieving our goals and objectives. Each strategy should be closely linked to and in support of your goals and objectives. Examples of strategies:

• Acquiring competitor X, that dominates a unique market segment.
• Focusing on inbound marketing over outbound marketing.
• Implementing best-in-class sales training to improve team effectiveness.

Plan—is a high-level narrative outlining the actions required to achieve your goals and objectives. It provides a structured approach to leveraging your strategies effectively. A plan should outline how we create a shift, change, or motion. For example, a plan could include:

• Conduct due diligence and initiate acquisition discussions with competitor X.
• Shift 50% of marketing budget from outbound campaigns to inbound strategies.
• Design and implement a best-in-class sales training program.
• Develop a transition plan to integrate the acquired competitor’s customer base and operations within six months.
• Launch a pilot inbound marketing campaign to measure impact and adjust strategy.

Actions—are the specific tasks and activities needed to implement the plan. Note that even the Actions section of the model outlines a summary of actions. A more detailed set of activities will be in your project plans or GANTT charts. A handful of examples:

• Prepare a competitive analysis report on competitor X by the end of Q2.
• Schedule and conduct initial acquisition meetings with competitor X’s leadership team by July 15th.
• Reallocate 50% of the marketing budget from outbound to inbound campaigns by June 30th.
• Develop and publish three inbound marketing content pieces per month starting in Q2.

I hope this simple model will help you develop better plans and provide more clarity for your stakeholders and teams.

A Simple Exercise

Write down your next goal or goals.

Then, add:

• Objectives: How will you measure success? What are the key metrics? Ensure your objectives follow the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).
• Strategy: What resources are available, and how will you prioritize them? What assets can you leverage and how? Why is one approach better than another? What will you no longer be doing or what will you deprioritize?
• Plan: What are the things that need to be done for you to achieve success?
• Action: What steps need to be taken, by whom, and when, in order to execute the plan, leverage the strategies, and achieve goals and objectives?

I hope this simple model will help you develop better plans and provide more clarity for your stakeholders and teams.
If you lead a team or a cross-functional initiative, I recommend you try this model to share high-level plans, ask for feedback, and refine them for greater clarity and effectiveness. Over time, as you use it more often, you will start discussing and refining GOSPAs for various goals. This will make it a natural part of your planning and decision-making process.

Have fun with GOSPA and let me know your experience!