Will it make the boat go faster?

The British men's rowing team was nowhere near the leader board in 1998 — but they set themselves the self-proclaimed 'crazy goal' of winning gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

They didn't just set a goal and hope.

They had a strategy.

That strategy was made up of two parts:

• An ambition: Win gold at the Olympics

• A focus: Make the boat go faster

It seems simplistic doesn't it?

But stating your strategy so clearly brings power.

It means that for every single decision any member of the team needed to make, they could check it against their focus.

There's a party the night before the race, should I go?

Will it make the boat go faster?

No.

It's raining and miserable today, do I really have to train?

Will it make the boat go faster?

Yes.

And so on.

These two layers of Ambition and Focus are how we build up the strategy in the Pyramid of Purpose, Convivio's way of setting out an agency's purpose, strategy and culture.

How simply could you state your strategy? What could be the key question that your team uses to measure daily decisions against your strategy?

That's how you get alignment and build momentum.