Definition:
Swans are the aspirational outcomes, relationships, goals, or aims that an organization is actively working toward. They are not the whole mission, nor are they narrow targets — they are the significant, visible outcomes that indicate real progress toward the mission. In terms of timing, they are likely to take between one and three years, though they can take longer.
The term “Swans” captures the nature of these aims: outwardly smooth and coherent, but internally complex and demanding — like a swan gliding gracefully while paddling hard beneath the surface.
Swans can be:
- Outcomes for children or vulnerable adults
- Community impact goals
- Trust or relationship outcomes
- Cultural or reputational aims
- Growth, reach, or innovation targets
Unlike SMART goals, Swans may be broad, evolving, or still emerging — but they must be real, actionable, and worth protecting.
Why Swans Matter in Jigsaw
Swans are the anchor point of the entire risk system, and the practical adaptation of how Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) defines risk.
In ERM, risk is defined as “the effect of uncertainty on objectives.”
In most ERM systems, those objectives are assumed to be SMART — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. But in reality, many organizations don’t operate that way, especially in mission-driven, relational, or evolving environments.
That’s why Jigsaw uses Swans.
They serve the same purpose — providing a clear focus for managing uncertainty — but do so in a way that reflects how real organizations think, talk, and operate.
In Jigsaw: We don’t manage risk as threat or in the abstract. We manage the uncertainty around what we are trying to achieve.
By naming and prioritizing Swans, a team makes explicit what the system is there to protect — and what success actually looks like.
Swans and Operating Models: Complementary Roles
Swans and operating models work together in Jigsaw to define both what matters and what makes it possible:
- Swans are the goals — the important outcomes the organization is trying to achieve.
- The operating model is the means — the people, partnerships, resources, and routines the organization relies on to make those outcomes happen.
This relationship is essential to system design:
- You can’t define risk until you know what you’re trying to achieve (the Swan),
- And you can’t manage that risk unless you understand what you depend on to get there (the operating model).
For each Swan, the team maps its supporting pieces (activities, partnerships, resources, etc.). From that structure, we then identify the uncertainties — things that could help or hinder progress — which become the risk sets that the Jigsaw system is designed to manage.
Best Practice for Defining Swans
- Identify both current and aspirational Swans — what you are actively working toward, not just what you hope for
- Prioritize those that:
- Align most clearly with vision and values
- Carry the highest impact for those served
- Face meaningful uncertainty
- Link each Swan to its supporting operating model elements
- Use the Swan as the central reference point when building risk sets
Swans and Operating Model – Sample Facilitation Script