But those who’ve actually made it to the summit didn’t plan to do so by taking one dramatic leap to the top—they meticulously planned each phase of the climb, took calculated steps, and stacked up small but meaningful victories. In other words, they focused on micro-wins. The same principle applies to our biggest organizational goals: when we break them down into actionable, incremental successes, we transform what feels insurmountable into something we can achieve

This is Snack BOxD, a highly digestible digest from me, Nenuca Syquia, CEO at Better Organizations by Design (BOxD). Every month I send a round-up of ideas and insights on how to create healthy, high-performing organizations. If you like this kind of thing or found me by accident, get your snack on and subscribe here.

On the menu this month… empowering our leaders and teams to embrace micro-wins.

On May 29, 1953, Tenzing Norgay (an Indian-Nepalese Sherpa) and Sir Edmund Hillary (a mountaineer from New Zealand) became the first climbers to summit Mount Everest. To reach the peak, they set up a base camp and multiple camps along the ascent, planned their route, and monitored the ever-changing weather conditions. Each step built on the last, gradually sharpening their skills and resolve until they were ready for the final push.

This methodical, inch-by-inch approach—focusing on incremental progress rather than attempting to conquer the summit in one bold move—is such a powerful lesson for those of us wrestling with our own organizational goals. By breaking a big vision into attainable “micro-wins” for ourselves and our teams, we can maintain momentum, make the space to celebrate short-term victories, and steadily build the capacity our teams need to take on the next challenge.

I love a good BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal), and I believe its power comes from the ability to inspire people to think bigger. But when we fail to break them down into bite-sized, achievable steps, we can see:

• Teams not understanding how their day-to-day work ties into the bigger picture
• Momentum fizzling when there’s no clear evidence of progress.
• Fatigue and demotivation setting in as the end goal starts to feel distant—or worse, impossible.

So what to do? To close the gap between that colossal finish line and today’s starting point, map out a route that checks both logistical boxes and supports the effectiveness of the people climbing alongside you. These are your micro power moves.

Think of a goal or action step that you can accomplish in just a few days—or even a single work session. For instance, instead of “increase customer satisfaction by 20% this quarter,” you might identify a small, near-term win like “launch a quick feedback survey for our top five clients this week.” Breaking it down to this level not only makes the goal more approachable, but it also provides a clear measure of success your team can rally around.

Tips for Finding Effective Micro-Wins

1. Align with the Bigger Picture
   Each micro-step should connect directly to the broader strategic objective. It should not be in service of a vanity metric. You can test your chain of logic by playing out a series of, “If this, then that.”
2. Keep It Tangible and Time-Bound
   A goal that’s too vague or too distant in the future can kill momentum. Aim for tasks that can be completed in a short window (like a single sprint, a week, or a few days) and have clear, measurable outcomes.
3. Collaborate on the Details
   Encourage your team to brainstorm and refine potential micro-wins together. This fosters buy-in, improves the quality of ideas, and helps everyone stay on the same page.

Celebrate Every Milestone
Don’t wait until the finish line  to acknowledge people. Quick wins are motivating, so take a moment to cheer on the progress. Bonus: Check out our previous digest on how to decide if something is worth celebrating.

It’s common for ambitious strategies to lose steam – or even fall apart completely – midway through your progress. Priorities shift, teams get fatigued, and the path to success grows murky. Below are a few ideas to help recalibrate your goals, re-engage your teams, and steer your organization back on course.

Refine the Big Picture

• Revisit your ultimate goal (e.g., “Increase market revenue by 20%”) and confirm it’s still relevant. You want to avoid plan continuation bias.
• Acknowledge changing conditions (e.g., market shifts or resource constraints)—and adapt your target as needed.
• Invest time in aligning stakeholders on the new or reaffirmed objective.

Break It Down (Again)

• Identify smaller, actionable goals for each team or functional area (e.g., “Increase client retention by 10% in 6 months”).
• Shorten timelines if necessary. If 6 months feels too distant, set milestones for every 4–6 weeks to track incremental progress.
• Create tangible metrics that make it easy for teams to see if they’re hitting these micro-goals.

Support the Humans Behind the Goals

• Check in regularly on workload and ask team members what’s going well, what’s draining them, and how you can help.
• Create a safe space for real talk, where people can share concerns or ideas without fear of blame. Bonus: Here are tips for creating psychological safety.
• Invest in development opportunities to help your team tackle the challenge more confidently.

Celebrate Progress, Even the Small Stuff

• Leverage the power of small and frequent recognition to reinforce the behaviors that will get you to your big goal.
• Create team rituals for celebrating micro-wins, e.g, a quick message on chat or an email summarizing wins at the end of a cycle.

Communicate Continuously

• Share updates on progress (and setbacks) openly and frequently. Transparency fosters trust and helps everyone see how their efforts fit into the bigger picture.
• Realign teams as needed. If goals change or timelines shift, ensure every department or team knows what’s expected of them going forward.

Encourage Ongoing Reflection and Adaptation

• Build in regular retrospectives (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly) to assess what’s working and what isn’t.
• Adjust your roadmap based on these insights. Your journey to the end goal should be dynamic, not set in stone.
• Refocus on purpose whenever you sense flagging motivation—remind people why this goal matters to the organization and to them personally.

Need Help Navigating Your Everest?

Scaling big goals requires the same diligence, focus, and incremental progress used to climb Mount Everest. At BOxD, we specialize in equipping leaders with the tools to operationalize their strategies, boost team engagement, and sustain long-term momentum.

If you’re eager to break down your organization’s goals into actionable steps, we’d love to help. Click below to schedule a meeting with one of our leadership development consultants and transform how you achieve success.