Actions Must Impact Goals
Making Your Work Count
“Busy” and “productive” are not the same thing. In an OGSM, every action must be designed to make a measurable impact.
The Golden Rule: Every Action Should Impact a Number You Care About
The purpose of an Action is to make progress on a Measure (a KPI), which in turn helps achieve a Goal (a target number). If you can’t connect your assigned Action to a number on the OGSM, you should ask your team lead for clarification. Your work should create a result, not just an output.
Breaking Down Big Actions: From Projects to Steps
An “Action” on an OGSM is often a large project (e.g., “Launch new marketing campaign”). As a Yellow Belt, you will likely be responsible for one or more **steps** within that action (e.g., “Draft ad copy,” “Get budget approval”). It is your responsibility to understand these smaller steps and manage them effectively.
The “One Week” Rule: Keeping Steps Manageable
A good rule of thumb is that any “step” you are working on should take no more than one week to complete. If a task is larger than that, it’s a sign that it needs to be broken down further. This ensures you can show consistent, weekly progress and that the work never feels overwhelming.
