| |
| |
|
Strategic Planning Information |
|
|
|
Vision Getting Dim?
A recent conversation started with a typical question, "How's business?" The reply was equally typical and prefaced by a sigh, "You know (another sigh), same old / same old." Clearly the person responding has "VCD" or "Vision Challenge Disorder." VCD happens when the vigor goes out of the company vision like air going out of a balloon. Maybe the original vision has been reached and the business is just coasting, maintaining the status quo, marching in place. The overall energy and focus of the organization has shifted from taking initiative and towards the security of sameness and "playing defense." With no vision to focus on and no challenges to face, the staff gets frustrated. They flounder because there is no guiding direction to align their performance expectations; the business stagnates - "You know (sigh), same old / same old." This stultifying attitude can be the beginning of the feared slippery slope ending ultimately in the demise of the business. When VCD rears its ugly head it is time to reevaluate the company and its core foundational elements. Is the vision exciting, expansive, and energizing? If you look at the two previous sentences and yawn, your company has a VCD problem - "you know (sigh), same old / same old." Here is a four-step process to insure you don't let Vision Challenge Disorder enter your company. 1) See if your Vision for the company is still relevant - if you don't have a Vision written out, that's a different, but no less important, problem. 2) Discover if your staff is aware of the Vision and if they believe it is still relevant. 3) Review your Vision, clarify it if it is indistinct, modify it as needed 4) Work on making that Vision your reality - implement, implement, implement! When the Vision is well articulated and integrated into weekly, monthly and yearly goals, the company will reenergize and look towards the future with enthusiasm, optimism and a renewed sense of purpose. Your clients will feel it, your competitors will fear it so dust off your Vision, polish it and enjoy your future. Larry Galler coaches and consults with high-performance executives, professionals, and small businesses since 1993. He is the writer of the long-running (every Sunday since November 2001) business column, "Front Lines with Larry Galler" Sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.larrygaller.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Strategic-Planning - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Corporate Contingency Planning Part 1A few weeks ago I attended a seminar sponsored by Independent Solutions Insurance Inc (Edmonton) entitled "Seminar On Disaster Preparedness", during this seminar I heard stories from individual company owners who told us of their misfortunes and how they coped with their crisis. In both cases these crisis were caused by accident, however, a potential catastrophe nonetheless. Why Create an Annual Plan? Can you imagine going on a road trip without knowing your destination? Or, building your house without plans? The same can be said about running your business without a plan.They say that "If you don't know where you are going, any road will do. Secrets Of Effective Brainstorming Have you been in a "brainstorming" session where each person just defended their own ideas? Worse is when people don't suggest ideas at all, for fear they'll be attacked. That's no way to brainstorm. Microsoft Great Plains in Aerospace & Defense industries - implementation & customization highlights Microsoft Great Plains fits horizontal markets clientele and in case of Aerospace and Defense industry we'll talk about contractors - parts and subsystems for government contracts. We do not necessarily talk about large corporation, however models described could be implemented for large publicly traded company. Innovate Today for Great Leaps Forward Tomorrow How often does your company make a quantum leap forward? My guess is that, on a scale from "frequently (10) - to - never (1)" the answer is much closer to "never" because few companies have a process to innovate or think creatively. Very few attempt to formally think through their business model, their relationships with staff, clients, and vendors, and their product / service offerings. How to Develop a Successful Board of Advisors (...and Why You Should!) In today's rapidly changing and highly competitive markets, many privately held companies are creating outside advisory boards to give owners and CEOs fresh, knowledgeable advice. Even for small businesses, setting up an advisory board can give you a significant advantage over competitors that are relying solely on internal talent. How to Achieve E-commerce Success -You Gotta Plan! Before becoming a netpreneaur, I was an entrepreneur. First, I owned a successful child care center which grew to capacity in less than two years. Legal Strategies in Business Plans Writing a Business Plan these days is tough, venture capitalists are busy and there are so many ideas to choose from. Bankers want a tight, sweet and to the point business plan. The 7 Critical Steps to Formulating Your Annual Strategic Business Plan Businesses tend to avoid doing their annual business plan thinking that it is an arduous task that does not accomplish much. Formulating your annual plan is, however, critical to your business success and if done correctly should be quick, easy and generate bottom line results. Strategic Planning and Total Quality Management No matter what product or service you provide you will have to face this issue of quality and systems. Whether it is distribution of services or streamlining of processes in manufacturing your product; you will need to address the issues of total quality management. Don't Allow Yourself to Get Burned I am not a big fisherman, but I do enjoy it whenever the opportunity comes my way. I have some friends who are fanatics and occasionally I will go out with one of them. The Chief Cause of Business Failure & Success Business rises and falls on leadership. According to business guru, Brian Tracy, "Leadership is the most important single factor in determining business success or failure in our competitive, turbulent, fast-moving economy. Connecting Your Offline Business to Your Online Business These may sound like no brainers, but you'd be surprised. No matter how high-tech your business has become, there is no doubt you still have some non-electronic aspects of your company. Clearing the Path: 4 Ways Fear Wreaks Havoc on Your Dream and What to Do About It Please take a moment before you read any further and answer these three simple questions:1. Are you making daily progress towards accomplishing your business vision?2. 5 Strategies That Will Boost Your Business Productivity Today! - Part 2 Growing your own small business can be one of the most exciting journeys you could ever embark upon!But it's important that you continuously implement new and fresh ways to generate sales and improve your profitability in order to stay ahead of the market!Here are the next 5 Strategies to help you propel your business to new heights of success!1. Develop your own Loyalty ProgramIf you have a look in my wallet, I have a Jesters Pies Card, a Subway Card and a Video Ezy card - all of which entitle me to something for nothing once I have made enough purchases!Some people will call me cheap?I just think it makes sense! If I'm going to buy something anyway?why not go somewhere that rewards me for my loyalty?If people have to buy your type of product or service from somewhere, why not make it more attractive for them to buy from you?Create your own loyalty program and create regular, satisfied customers who get rewarded for giving you their business!2. How to Write a Business Plan in Five Steps People often ask "What makes a good business plan? Or, "How do I make my plan attractive to lenders and investors?".The simple answer is that lenders and investors (I'll call them "readers" from here on out) are looking for "good deals". Is Your Company Growing Fast Enough for You? Are you frustrated by the lack of growth in your firm, or the effort required to squeeze any up-tick in performance? Are inadequate policies and procedures a root cause? To find out, take this simple self assessment to see if this may be inhibiting real growth at your company.Q. Going Self-Employed - A Few Handy Hints The day you decide to take the plunge and work for yourself will be one of the most life-changing choices you ever make, whether starting a company large or small or as a freelance; from the very first moment of being self-employed, you and you alone will stand or fall by your decisions and actions. You will be responsible for steering your business through all its ups and downs, good times and bad times with no guarantee that everything will turn out right in the end. Have You Identified the Enemy? One of the most powerful driving forces in human nature is competition. The desire to overcome something or some company, the need to win, the cause, can in many cases be more important than the day-to-day work of the company. Microsoft Great Plains in Advertising & Publishing - implementation highlights Microsoft Great Plains, former Great Plains Dynamics is excellent fit for service oriented business and in this small article we'll give you magazine publisher and advertiser implementation and reporting scenarios. The system we describe is not real, we are putting together industry specifics, based on our consulting practice.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |