That's objective, goal, strategies, measures. It's one of the strategic tools we use to keep from wasting resources. Sometimes we have so many forms and strategic tools, that people feel like it restricts their creativity. Of course, we need to remember that our creativity is not the point of what we do; we should be focused on enhancing our client's business. Besides that, certain constraints actually enhance creativity (for example, check out how a creative cornerback uses the sideline).

Anyhow, the OSGM is a linear/waterfall tool that helps us put first things first. Everything is subservient to the Objective-the reason for the initiative. From the objective come the Goals-practical, measurable desired outcomes for the success of the initiative. Then come Strategies-things we're going to do in order to achieve the goals. Then come Measures-quantifiable methods, determined in advance, to evaluate the degree to which the initiative was a success...or not.

Without objectives, you can spend a lot of time, resources, money, and brand equity doing stuff that seems cool, but that does not get you (or your client) where you want to be. Without goals, you can all agree on what your trying to achieve, but then, you can spend a lot of time, resources, money, and brand equity doing stuff that seems cool, but that does not get you (or your client) where you want to be. Without strategies, you end up trying to solve problems by throwing money at them. And, of course, if you don't establish your measures in advance, you can roll out some arbitrary measures after the fact and use them to declare victory (if you like the initiative) or defeat (if you don't like the initiative).

So, the OSGM process keeps it about the business, and thwarts self-indulgent creativity, the tendency always to jump on the next big thing, and the counterproductive effects of office politics. It is what it is. It is does what it does. It succeeds or fails on its own merits. And that's that.