In search of the next Big Hairy Audacious Goal

A follow-up to last month’s blog about relationships...
I know at least one person read it. As I was wandering the aisles at GlassBuild America, I received an e-mail on my “smarter-than-me” phone.  It was from one of my main suppliers. He had read the blog and thought he recognized himself and his company as the cold unfeeling supplier to which I referred in the opening paragraph. He apologized and set his personal BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) to develop close relationships with his customers. What a great idea. However, it is of no value unless he has developed a plan that can be measured. Remember, a goal has to have a finite time frame and be measurable. To his credit, it was neither him nor his company to whom I referred.

 A conclusion to my 56-mile BHAG
I made it.  I “ran” 56 miles by foot in 13:21:11 and finished in the vertical position. I set the goal, trained to achieve the goal and executed the task. I could not have done it without the support of many. Thanks to all. Now comes the hard part. I must set another goal. I don’t know if it will be a physical goal, a servant’s goal, an intellectual (I hear you laughing) goal, a business goal, a personal development goal or any combination. I do know that it is mandatory that I (we) set a goal.  Remember NASA after the moon landing ...

NASA had worked hard during the late 1960s to land a man on the moon. On July 20, 1969, the organization achieved its goal. During the next few years, many involved in the program became alcohol/drug dependent, committed suicide, became withdrawn or suffered from some other malady. They had failed to set another goal. They languished.

When we don’t have a goal, we become despondent. A goal is necessary to keep us looking up at the possibilities, not down at our problems. I haven’t found my next BHAG, but while I’m searching, I have set several small goals. I have just run a 200-mile relay race in Kentucky. I may run an 8-hour endurance race in November. I will run a marathon in Huntsville, Ala., in December. None of these keep me focused for long, but they pull me along until I can discover the Big Goal.

I think the goal may be to remain in business for another year. After all, dad used to say that every week he made payroll, he considered it a victory.

 And to dad:
Today, Oct. 26, would have been his 91^st birthday.  Happy birthday, dad.

—Bill Evans, president, Evans Glass Co., Nashville   

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