It may (or may not) come as a surprise that most business owners and their leadership teams in our industry are operating at about 20% strong. With simple processes and intentional leadership, they could be running at 80% strong or better by strengthening the Six Key Components of their business. The first component is Vision.
As an entrepreneur, you can have a vision for your company — in fact, you must have one — but it won’t do you much good if you’re the only one who sees it clearly. Everyone on your team likely has a vision of the company. If you went to your leadership team right now and asked each person where the company will be in 10 years, would they all have the same answer? And how about the rest of the team? Are they all crystal clear on where you’re going?
Also by Haley Patterson: Fueling Growth
This is the key. You can have the most energizing vision ever, but if your team doesn’t clearly see that vision, understand it, and want to be a part of it, you’re never going to gain the traction to achieve it.
8 Questions to Define Your Vision
The goal is to get your vision out of your head, and there are eight questions that can help you align everyone with where your organization is going and how you will get there. The tool we use with clients running on EOS is called the Vision/Traction Organizer (V/TO). A clear vision answers these questions:
- What are our core values? Core values define your culture and how you do things. Core Values should not just be words on a wall — they should be brought to life and lived every day in the company.
- What is our core focus? Once you define core values, the next step is to ensure that everyone stays focused and undistracted from this shared purpose. Your leadership team will make all decisions with this core focus in mind.
- What is our 10-year target? Jim Collins called this the BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal). It’s the far-reaching goal that you don’t need to justify right now but will work toward over the next decade. Many people underestimate what can be accomplished in 10 years, so defining this goal with focus and commitment is crucial.
- What is our marketing strategy? Once you have clarity on your mission and long-term goal, you need a marketing strategy to guide who you’re talking to and what you’re saying.
- What is our three-year picture? If your 10-year target seems too far off, break it down into a more tangible milestone. What should your business look like three years from now? Identify five to 15 measurable indicators that you have in your mind’s eye.
- What is our one-year plan? Define three to seven key goals for the year that will move you closer to achieving your three-year picture.
- What are our “rocks”? These are your highest priorities for the next 90 days. What must be accomplished in this timeframe to move you a quarter of the way toward achieving your one-year plan?
- What are our issues? Even with a well-defined vision and plan, there will be roadblocks. Identify and list ongoing issues so they can be discussed and solved forever.
Aligning Your Team for Success
As leaders, we should revisit these eight questions regularly. I encourage you to do this at least every quarter to ensure you stay aligned and focused. Then share that vision in a State of the Company every quarter. This constant reinforcement keeps everyone moving in the same direction. Vision without traction is just a dream. We can dream all we want, but without action, it will remain just that — a dream.
When you have a team that’s 100% on the same page, that’s how you achieve your goals.
I help entrepreneurs and their leadership teams get everything they want from their business. If you want to learn more about running on EOS, give me a call at 480.202.0788 or email me at [email protected]. Until next time, be good and stay focused.
