Welcome to Ready, Set, Goal!
In this episode of Ready, Set, Goal!, we dive into the world of goal-setting with Fanny Wallér, a senior advisor and board professional with deep experience in strategy, marketing, communication, and sustainability. We explore how organizations, especially boards, can work more effectively with goals, and why OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) can be a powerful tool when used correctly.
From Finance to the Boardroom
Fanny began her career in the finance industry and eventually transitioned into a portfolio of board assignments across various industries—from tech startups to distribution companies and foundations. This diverse background gives her a unique perspective on how strategy and goals are shaped at different organizational levels.
The Importance of Goal-Setting
Fanny believes goals are crucial, both professionally and personally. Professionally, goals bring structure, focus, and a sense of direction. Personally, they help prioritize what’s truly important, especially in avoiding the trap of constantly reacting to what’s urgent rather than focusing on long-term impact.
Many organizations, she observes, live in a constant state of urgency. The day gets consumed by emails, meetings, and firefighting. Without clear goals and focus, companies risk letting the whirlwind of daily operations steer the direction instead of consciously navigating toward long-term objectives.
Strategic Horizons and Misalignment
Referencing McKinsey’s “Three Horizons” framework, Fanny highlights a key challenge: different roles in a company often operate on different time horizons. Horizon 1 is about today’s operations, Horizon 2 is mid-term development, and Horizon 3 looks far ahead into innovation and transformation. Misalignment often occurs when leadership is thinking long-term while employees are buried in short-term demands.
Boards and management must understand and manage these horizons thoughtfully. The board’s role is to support, challenge, and approve the strategy and associated goals, not to micromanage their formulation. Clear role separation and communication are critical.
Why OKRs?
Fanny was drawn to OKRs after years of exploring leadership and performance frameworks. What stood out was OKRs’ ability to drive alignment and focus when implemented well. Like any framework, success comes down to execution, not just adopting a new acronym.
The real work is in:
1- Creating consistent routines for follow-up and accountability.
2- Choosing the few truly important goals.
3 -Anchoring them in the organization with clarity and engagement.
Rituals Matter, but Only with Engagement
Many companies struggle to maintain the cadence of OKRs: planning, weekly check-ins, and quarterly reviews. Fanny emphasizes that rituals alone are not enough. Without emotional engagement or a personal connection to the goals, these routines quickly become hollow.
True goal alignment requires people to feel ownership and understand their role in the bigger picture. Leaders must model the right behaviors and repeatedly communicate the “why” behind the goals. Culture, she reminds us, always trumps strategy.
Involve People Early
Engagement starts with inclusion. Goals imposed from the top down rarely resonate across the organization. To gain real commitment, people need to be involved early in the goal-setting process. That’s how buy-in is built—from the ground up.
This is especially important when balancing transformational ambitions from leadership with the operational realities that most employees face daily. Goals must bridge that gap—ambitious but grounded.
Transformation vs. Continuous Improvement
Not every company needs a full-scale transformation. Fanny prefers to reserve the word transformation for when a company is truly becoming something fundamentally different. Most companies are better served by focusing on continuous improvement—small, smart changes that add up over time. Think Toyota, not moonshots.
Goal-Setting is Underestimated
Fanny firmly believes that many organizations underestimate what it takes to work effectively with goals. It’s not just a matter of setting targets—it’s about investing time and effort into clarity, communication, and cultural integration.
Her advice to leaders:
Visualize the journey. Create a roadmap that shows where the organization is going—and why.
- Limit the number of goals. Focus only on what really matters.
- Make the goals meaningful. People must understand and care about them.
- Lead visibly. CEOs and senior leaders must embody the goals—communicating them across every level of the organization.
- Follow up consistently. Build strong routines and stick to them.
The Board’s Role in Goal-Setting
Boards must deeply understand the company’s goals—not just approve them passively. That means asking questions, challenging assumptions, and ensuring the organization is on track.
Boards are also responsible for follow-up. When things aren’t progressing, the board must step in with curiosity and accountability: What’s not working? Why? What needs to change?
Final Thoughts
Fanny’s experience makes one thing clear: effective goal-setting is both an art and a science. It demands clarity, commitment, and cultural alignment—from leadership to the front lines. With the right mindset and structure, goals can become a powerful force that aligns people, drives performance, and shapes the future.
