Goal without an action plan: when you want to build a house but don't have a project.

It is natural when we are starting a business to visualize our short/medium and long-term goals and to conjecture upon these goals. Usually, they are our guide and make our prospect where we want to take our business and the best way to guide our employees, especially those in management positions, to achieve these goals. 

There is a CLEAR difference between GOALS, TARGETS and ACTIONS:

Imagine a ladder. The last rung on this ladder is your GOAL. It is where you will get to after you have climbed all the steps. And each step is a GOAL.

And goals are nothing more than Specific, Temporary Movements of Sequential Actions, that is, you achieve your goal and 'go' to the next one!

But what about ACTIONS? AH, they are the necessary attitudes for you to complete your GOAL. They are the basis for you to achieve your goals! Don't forget: ACTION is the BASIS for achieving GOALS. In other words, THOSE WHO ACT HAVE POWER.

And to act in the right way and achieve all the necessary goals, an action plan is indispensable. It will be the guideline of the whole objective. It will provide you with possibilities to get the ideas off the paper, put them into practice, and monitor the performance, learning from the mistakes in the process and adjusting along the way. 

Something that helps a lot in this process is KPIs: Key Performance Indicators. These indicators measure whether the objectives have been achieved and how the company has grown through them. As chapter 5 of the book states, "Goals and plans provide a source of motivation and commitment. Planning can reduce uncertainty for employees and clarify what they should accomplish. The lack of a clear goal hampers motivation because people don't understand what they're working toward. 

It is perfectly possible to create a business and scale sales, but having a goal and a plan of action is essential, not to say vital, for ANY organization.