We’ve all become very sceptical about politicians espousing ambitious goals for the nation and then doing very little to make them happen, while spending huge resources on 2nd and 3rd order problems. Too often, public policy programmes look like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.  Many businesses suffer from this too. Setting big goals requires commitment to substantive action, not tinkering at the edges.  However, that doesn’t make the ambitious goal any less worthy.  So, if you’re an New Zealander, I commend to you an initiative from one of the country’s most noteworthy business leaders, Lloyd Morrison, together with the NZ Stock Exchange.

A Measurable Goal for New Zealand - How will you make a difference?

New Zealand lacks a common purpose. No one knows exactly what we want. We hanker for a return to the times when we were one of the wealthiest countries in the world. We want everyone to be better off, knowing that individual wealth does not result in freedom from crime and the social fallout of excessive disparity. However, there is no clearly articulated goal we are pursuing and no solid plan of how we can get there.

As a result, there is no definition or accountability for policies or policy-makers. Policies are often clothed with loose positive objectives and ultimately ineffective aims. There is no co-ordinated accountability for these policies (or politicians) in terms of their ability to contribute towards a common measurable outcome. Consequently, we continue our steady decline. As the attached analysis shows, current forecasts have our GDP per capita slipping below Kazakhstan and Botswana by 2025.

I’ve been discussing this with colleagues and friends, and we believe that NZ needs to embrace a common objective that will provide the means to deliver what we are seeking as a nation.

Whatever the objective chosen, it needs to be simple, clear, measurable, understandable, aspirational and, most importantly, catalytic in terms of driving positive change that makes the outcome achievable.

We’d like to stimulate a broader discussion over what that goal should be for NZ. To kick-off the debate, here’s our starter for ten: NZ should aim to be back in the top 10 countries in the world based on GDP per capita by 2025. Not just the OECD, the world. Unachievable? No way. Ireland, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan all achieved the required level of growth over the last twenty years. It will take real collective commitment and more creative thinking about our economy – but that’s exactly what an ambitious goal will generate.

I’m hoping you’ll participate in a broader discussion about an aspirational, measurable goal for New Zealand. Please read the document here (pdf). Pass it on to your friends. Participate in the debate by emailing measurablegoal@hrlmorrison.com or contributing to the forum on the NZX blog.

If you agree with what we’re proposing, show your support. If you don’t, please share your ideas for a national goal. Together, let’s take the first step in defining and delivering a better future for New Zealand.

I was at a business function last night.  By coincidence, we talked about ambitious goals and how to make them happen, while also achieving other objectives such as a great workplace culture, green business, community support, etc..  The overwhelming opinion - go for the big goal.  The 2nd order goals are design features which can influence how you achieve your primary goal. But first and foremost, you focus on how to achieve that primary goal. Success there makes all else affordable.

So, how will you make a difference?