The 5W’S Complete Goal-Setting Framework is about setting big, meaningful goals that are whole and complete. It dramatically increases your chance of achieving your goal. It is an acronym for seven words. The ‘5W’ stands for the following five words: Who, What, When, Where, and Why. The letter ‘S’ stands for Specific. It also includes the word Complete. The questions around how you are going to achieve your goal are part of a different exercise. It is important to separate the two. Creating the goal comes first. The goal must be your own, not one set for you by others. And the goal must be aligned with who you are and where you are going. Note that we sometimes refer to this method as the Five W's Complete Goal-Setting Framework.
Here are the definitions of the seven words. They are presented in a somewhat different order, that makes thinking about your goal easier.
Specific. When going through this exercise, make sure you use very specific numbers, priorities, dates, and times.
Complete. Your goal should complete a major project or effort: everything is done, and you have received all your desired results.
What. What is the problem, issue, or opportunity you want to work on? This is a short statement , usually twenty words or less, that can be easily understood by others.
Where. Think about a map. Where are you now? Where do you want to be?
When. When do you need to start? When do you need to finish?
Who. Who can you model? Who is an expert? Who can help you?
Why. Why is this goal important to you? Why is it important for others? Why does it need to be done right now?
Explore our solutions to learn more about The 5W'S Complete Goal-Setting Framework and how we can help you transform your life.
FAQs
The first step in the SMART goal setting process is to be as specific as possible with your goal. We recommend addressing the 5 Ws when making a goal specific: why, what, when, who, where. (Sound familiar?
What are the 5 F's of goal-setting? ›
The Five Fs: Family and Friends, Finances, Fun, Faith, and Fitness are simple categories to organize your goals. Using these five life categories for successful new year goals may make your 2023 the best year ever.
What are the five Rs of goal-setting? ›
- Results. In order to be effective, a resolution must be results oriented. ...
- Reasons. If you don't know why you're pursuing a goal, you likely won't achieve it. ...
- Reflection. ...
- Resources. ...
- Responsibilities.
The methods for effective goal-setting will vary from person to person or team to team, but here are some steps to get you started:
- Brainstorm actionable objectives. ...
- Identify realistic and specific goals. ...
- Break down goals into smaller steps. ...
- Identify possible obstacles. ...
- Schedule a timeframe.
These six questions are: what, why, when, where, who, and how. The 5Ws and 1H framework is a super simple but seriously effective method for collecting information. It's an easily memorized list that journalists and other researchers can reflect on whenever they're collecting information in the heat of the moment.
How do you answer the 5 W's? ›
One of the best practices for writers is to follow "The 5Ws" guideline, by investigating the Who, What, Where, When and Why of a story. If you can't identify what makes your story unique and interesting, chances are nobody else will either. Who is driving the story?
What are the 5 keys to goal-setting? ›
By incorporating these five essential keys—making a bold commitment, crafting your goal card, taking purposeful action, visualizing your future, and scripting your future letter—you can unlock your full potential and embark on a journey of unparalleled achievement.
What is goal-setting 5 Whys? ›
The 5-Whys framework is a technique that helps you identify the root cause of a problem or challenge by asking "why" five times. The idea is that by digging deeper into the underlying reasons behind a situation, you can find the core issue that needs to be addressed or resolved.
What is the rule of 5 goals? ›
Applying the 5/25 Rule Across Your Life
Choose Your Top 5 Goals: Identify the five most critical goals. These should be the ones that will significantly impact your career progression, business success, and personal satisfaction. Focus and Eliminate Distractions: Methodically cross off the remaining 20 goals.
What are the 5 rs? ›
The 5 R's: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle.
The SMART in SMART goals stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.
What are the 5 R's planning? ›
The 5Rs Framework highlights five key dimensions of systems: Results, Roles, Relationships, Rules and Resources. Collectively these 5Rs can serve as a lens for assessing local systems and a guide for identifying and monitoring interventions designed to strengthen them.
What are the 5 principles of goal-setting? ›
The 4CF framework contains 5 principles for creating successful goals.
- Clarity. The goal should clearly state what it is that you want to achieve so that both you and the person you're setting the goal with have a shared understanding of what success looks like. ...
- Challenge. ...
- Complexity. ...
- Commitment. ...
- Feedback.
Researcher Edwin Locke found that individuals who set specific, difficult goals performed better than those who set general, easy goals. Locke proposed five basic principles of goal-setting: clarity, challenge, commitment, feedback, and task complexity.
What are the 5 characteristics of goal-setting? ›
We recommend creating SMART goals which incorporate these 5 characteristics of a good goal. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. This goal-setting approach is popular in the world of business and entrepreneurship, and for good reason!
What is the 5 whys method for goal-setting? ›
The 5 Whys is a “root cause analysis” that aims to identify problems you're trying to solve, then drill down to their roots to solve them. The analysis is just what it sounds like—a series of five “Why?” questions.
What is the 5 W's of strategy? ›
So, here are my five Ws (who, what, when, where and why) of strategic planning. If you're just starting or have been doing this for quite some time, let it be a helpful tool for your team and organization. The first question is “who?” Who are the essential levers for progress and achieving critical goals and outcomes?
What is the 5 W's concept? ›
The 5 Ws are who, what, when, where, and why. These are all questions that a writer should be able to ask and answer while composing their work. If they are unable to answer any of these questions successfully, the writing may not be detailed enough, and readers may lose interest or fail to be persuaded.
