Maybe you’ve thought about your core values, your mission statement or your vision but what about your moonshot? Yes, your moonshot. Mission, values and vision can often sit on a shelf gathering dust. A moonshot is different.

Origins

Originating from the Apollo and Soviet lunar programmes aiming to land humans on the moon, the term is now common business parlance.

A moonshot is a long-term business goal, an audacious ambition or innovative project. Google subsidiary, X, the company’s research lab, refer to their most ambitious projects as moonshots.

Led by Astro Teller, or “Captain of Moonshots” X works firmly in the future rather than the present.

Think AI, Google Brain, the driverless car, Project Loon or Calico, researching life extension.

Like Google X the moonshot is firmly focused on the future, the art of possibility, of what could be rather than what is. A moonshot is something to aim for. It disrupts and inspires your organisation at every level.

What do they look like?

Moonshots are bold. They look beyond strategy towards the future. They are extraordinary projects or proposals that fulfil the following criteria;

• It addresses a problem, a big one
• It proposes a radical solution
• It utilises innovative thinking & technology

Teller takes the moonshot one step further by;

• Addressing the hardest part of the project first. This is a kind of natural selection, culling unsuitable projects in this phase. Teller describes this as identifying the Achilles heel early on rather than wasting time and money only to discover it later.
• Rewarding failure. We know from the work of Carol Dweck that learning by failure is the way to go. When a project is killed off in the culling phase, staff are rewarded. Failure is celebrated rather than brushed under the carpet.

Leave the herd behind

Moonshots are game changers. They design the future rather than simply following the herd. So if you’re a business, start up or tech company looking to innovate, forget business as usual and follow our 6 step plan.

1. Identify the problem - think huge ideas rather than bitesized.
2. Along with your big idea there needs to be the potential to overcome the problem (this part is mission impossible rather than mission tricky)
3. Form a team of committed, motivated, collaborative experts.
4. Work out what the most difficult aspect of the project is and set to work.
5. Foster a growth mindset. Learn from and celebrate failure.
6. Get buy in to the project at every level of your business.
7. Implement the plan. Get to work and reach for the stars.