V2MOM

V2MOM gives organizations a simple way to write down what they want to achieve and how they will achieve it. The five parts answer five questions: what do we want, what is important to us, how will we get it, what might stop us and how will we know we have succeeded? Marc Benioff created the framework and used it to set Salesforce's direction from the company's founding in 1999. Salesforce has since used V2MOM every year, with each team and employee writing their own version that connects to the company's.

The framework has spread to many other companies, particularly in technology, as a lightweight alternative or complement to OKRs. Its appeal lies in its simplicity and in the way it combines direction, priorities and measures in one place. For strategy and planning teams, V2MOM offers a clear format for translating company strategy into team plans, and for making sure that people at every level understand what the organization is trying to do and why.

Definition of V2MOM

V2MOM is a structured planning document that defines a vision, the values that guide its pursuit, the methods used to achieve it in priority order, the obstacles that may stand in the way and the measures that will show progress, cascaded from the company level to teams and individuals.

It shares goals with frameworks such as objectives and key results and OGSM, which also connect direction to measurable results.

The Five Components

Vision describes what the organization or team wants to achieve. It should be clear and inspiring, giving people a shared picture of success.

Values describe the principles and beliefs that guide how the vision is pursued, and help people decide between options when trade-offs arise. They also signal what the organization will not do, even if it would help reach the vision faster.

Methods describe the actions and steps needed to achieve the vision. They are listed in priority order, so that the most important work is clear. When resources are tight, the methods at the bottom of the list are the first to be delayed.

Obstacles describe the challenges, problems and risks that could prevent success, so that they can be addressed in advance. Writing them down makes it easier to raise problems openly rather than discovering them late.

Measures describe the specific, measurable results that will show whether the vision is being achieved, usually with targets for each method. They turn the vision into something that can be tracked.

How V2MOM Cascades

The company V2MOM is written by senior leaders and shared with everyone in the organization. It is usually updated once a year, with minor revisions during the year if priorities change.

Each department and team then writes its own V2MOM, connecting its vision and methods to the company's priorities.

At Salesforce, individual employees also write V2MOMs, which managers review with them, creating alignment from the top of the company to each person.

Publishing V2MOMs openly lets people see how other teams' priorities relate to their own, which supports strategic alignment.

Importance of V2MOM in Strategic Planning

V2MOM makes strategy simple and visible. Five short sections on a page are easy to read, remember and refer to during the year. This simplicity makes it easier for people to use the document when making everyday decisions.

It forces prioritization. Listing methods in order of importance makes it clear what comes first when resources are limited.

It also surfaces risks early. Naming obstacles explicitly encourages honest discussion of what could go wrong and how to address it.

V2MOM and Financial Management

Measures in a V2MOM often include financial targets, such as revenue, growth or cost goals, linking direction to financial results.

The ranked list of methods gives leaders a basis for allocating budget and people, since the highest-priority methods should receive the most support.

Obstacles related to cost or funding can be identified early, allowing finance teams to plan for them.

Reviewing measures during the year shows whether investment in each method is producing the expected results.

Common Challenges

Methods can become long lists of activities rather than a short, prioritized set of approaches.

Measures may be vague, making it hard to judge progress. They work best when they are specific and have targets.

V2MOMs written once a year and then ignored lose most of their value. Regular review keeps them useful.