The new "GOST" in stagecraft

Pepper's Ghost - special effects from a prior age

Ghosts have always been a part of stagecraft. Whether it is the Phantom of the Opera, the spectres of bygone starlets that are rumored to wander the catwalks of many of Broadway's most famed theaters, or Pepper's Ghost, one of the most famous early special effects that has been wowing audiences since as far back as the 16th Century.

When designing modern communications campaigns, there's another ghost you should always address, but this one is spelled differently: G.O.S.T.

This handy acronym stands for Goals, Objectives, Strategy and Tactics.

While Strategy and Tactics are sometimes confused, far more often the subtle yet critical difference between an organization's Goals and Objectives is misunderstood, or even ignored. 

Goals are the long-term results that you seek, whereas Objectives are the definable and quantifiable achievements that must be realized in order to get there. The easy way to differentiate them is that goals are the “what,” while objectives are the “how.” Consider first What you want to achieve, and once you have a clear vision, you can define How you can achieve it.

Once your goals and objectives are defined, use them to develop a Strategy. The strategy is the overarching path you must take to achieve your objectives.

Then, of course, the strategy is further defined by Tactics – those concrete actions that will further us along our strategic path.

So...

GOALS = What you want
OBJECTIVES = What you need to achieve to get there
STRATEGY = The route that will let you achieve those things
TACTICS = What you need to do

Defining and codifying your GOST makes the insurmountable achievable, and any task, from growing your business to planning a complex event or campaign, becomes a simple matter of following the steps you have laid out that lead to making your vision a reality.

Because if Pepper's projected ghouls had Colonial audiences gasping in awe, imagine the impact your GOST will have on your audience today.