Proximate Objectives
Richard Rumelt's case for targets close enough to hit: a leader's responsibility is to absorb ambiguity and hand down objectives that are feasible from here, not to relay the fog. A proximate objective is near enough that the organisation can see how to achieve it, yet meaningful enough that achieving it changes the position.
A proximate objective is near enough that the organisation can see how to achieve it, yet meaningful enough that achieving it changes the position. Kennedy's moonshot, Rumelt notes, was proximate: the physics and engineering were understood; it was a resourcing and coordination challenge, not a mystery.
The discipline:
- The harder and more uncertain the situation, the more proximate the objective should be
- Resolving ambiguity is leadership work, passing it downward as a bold-sounding Objective is abdication
- Momentum compounds: a hit proximate objective creates the position (and confidence) for the next one
This is the deliberate counterweight to unexamined stretch: it pairs with Aspirational Targets (label the stretch honestly), disciplines Target Setting, and serves Wildly Important Focus, concentrated force on the crux, not thin effort against a dream.
Our synthesis of Richard Rumelt’s published work, sources credited. Read the originals: they’re excellent.
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