the power of themes

Here's an uncomfortable fact...
... hardly anybody in your company cares about next year's profit target.
Or the big sales number.

It probably looks a lot like last year's.
It's just a big, meaningless figure.

So how can we galvanize people to do the work, and make the change, that will result in the number?

Every year at COOK we come up with a theme for next 12 months.
It’s usually a behaviour, with cultural resonance right across the organization.

We give it a logo and a bit of brand love.
Then we use it whenever we’re talking about plans and progress for the year.

It's something we return to again and again that isn’t just a financial target or a KPI.
A few favourites:

Focus on the focus
Get clear, get aligned, go forwards

This year:
Raising our game (sub-title: 1% better a day = 3800% better a year, thanks Hiut Denim Co yearbook).

The theme says: this year something is different.
This year we can change for the better.
This year isn't just about a number.

I've discovered some professional sports teams are adopting a similar approach - dubbed "theming".
Giving each season a theme, often based on an historical narrative.
The La Rochelle rugby team used the first moon landing, for example.

What's going to make next year feel different?
What shared story or common behaviour might galvanize your team?