I love sailing. Come to think of it, sailing is one of those few activities where I think of nothing else while doing it, a true distraction. The water, the breeze, the crew on board, all provide a welcomed distraction, enjoyment and engagement.
While spending time on the water with friends, you are also reminded that sailing involves some planning, a handful of skills and a bit of navigation. Simply put, you need to determine your point-B and understand how to get there. Sharing where you are headed, or your point-of-sail, with your crew gets everyone on the same page and aligns the goal. Underway, you and your crew may need to make slight adjustments to the sails or the tiller in order to achieve the goal, but if everyone knows where they’re headed, and understands how to get there, the joy of the journey is a beautiful shared experience.
Let’s Shift to Your Business, and Your Point-B. What is it? When is it? And how do you get there?
Despite being a prerequisite to the role of business owner and leader, “visionary” is not always a skillset that one can simply check the box with a full level of certainty or without a short pause beforehand. Candidly, regardless of how high a mark you can place on your ability to see point-B, my discussions with numerous entrepreneurs have reinforced my sense that this is just one of those areas of business that can always use a little honing and refinement. Don’t get me wrong, you bring a multitude of talents to your business, and I’m sure you can see a future-state for you and your company. But I am suggesting that perhaps there is room for a reminder of the importance of point-B planning, and for some potential refinement.
A two-part question I ask my clients when we start our work together is, “what’s next for your business AND how do you see getting there?” Answers range from, “I have no idea” to “Here’s my twenty-year plan”. While most responses fall somewhere between these two extremes, you get the idea. Creating, communicating and executing on a clear vision is ever-changing, somewhat elusive and requires deep reflection, planning and a commitment to execute.
So, here’s my challenge to you regarding point-B…
How clear is it?
What’s the strategy to get there?
And how inspiring is it to others in your organization to take the journey with you?
Where are you with your point-B reflection? Here we are in Q4, and although I would stress that point-B reflection and planning should be on-going, the end of each year provides us obvious milestones to work with and plan from. So, start now. Take this time to think through some future-state scenarios for your business and the people who are part of it.
Navigating Success: Why Your Business Needs a Clear Point-B
Some ideas to get started:
Determine your point-B (vision-cast: what does it look like when this is achieved?)
What are some ideas to achieve this desired outcome?
What comes to mind as ways that have worked in the past in similar scenarios?
What hasn’t been working that may need elimination and/or revision?
Who needs to be on this journey with you?
Visualize your point-B. Bearing in mind that your next point-B can be a short sail away; perhaps a milestone clearly visible to you and your team. Or perhaps it’s more robust, complex and multi-faceted. Either way, point-B needs your attention: the what, the when, and the how to get there.
Look to the horizon, assemble your crew, and hoist your sails!
Continued success.
Comments