Being in business is like climbing a mountain. The tough economic times of the last couple of years, has just made your climb steeper and the weather more hazardous.
Here are some concepts inspired by the book, “Predictable Results in Unpredictable Times”:
Achieve more with less
You have to “pack light” when climbing a mountain. Pack strategically and only carry what you really need. Drop the extraneous stuff that weighs you down and distracts you.
You need to focus – say “No” to more things - and say “Yes” to only the most important things.
Focus on what your customers will really value - and strategically position your organization to provide that value. Unfortunately, many companies simply cut people and resources without rethinking their business model when the competitive forces that shape their industry change.
Execution is still the #1 challenge
Most business leaders are rightly worried about execution. When 150,000 workers were asked to name the top priorities of their companies, only 15% could. Even worse, only 6% knew what their own individual priorities were.
Thus only 6% of people know and are actively working on the right strategy to climb your mountain. The others don’t understand the company strategy, nor do they know what they need to do to carry it out - just when it’s more crucial than ever to focus on the right things.
A disciplined execution system
Great organizations use a disciplined system to drive the execution of their strategic priorities:
Weekly “execution meetings”
These are not like ordinary staff meetings or production meetings. “Execution meetings” focus solely on moving the company forward in terms of achieving the strategic action priorities.
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