It’s been said that managers do things right (efficiency) and leaders do the right things (effectiveness). It's easy to be busy but hard to work on the right things. As a business leader, you must focus your employees on doing the right things ... those things that matter most to the success of the company. As your virtual business coach, I challenge you to focus the time, talent, energy, and resources of your team on key priorities and goals. To help you, constantly ask, “What’s Important Now (WIN) to our company?”
This business coaching blog will help you to drive the focus and results of your organization. After all, in today’s turbulent economic times and our fast-paced, technology-connected world, it’s very easy for your employees to lose track of what's most important to the enterprise. They can get caught up in the day-to-day minutia and distractions. Your job as leader is to continually help them get re-directed, re-focused, and re-oriented. If not, they can waste their energy, time, talent, and your resources on trivial matters. Fight to establish their critical focal points. You can do that by continually communicating your vision and priorities for the business with your employees.
Our Growth Coach, Fred Kusch, in La Cross, Wisconsin ("Get Ahead with Fred!") did a great job summarizing below some of our business coaching content. As he suggests, consider focusing your team's attention and concentration on these six primary focal areas:
1. Focusing on and satisfying your customers
The real value of your business is tied directly to the future, predictable cash flow from your highly satisfied and loyal customer base. Without customers, you do not have a business. Each employee should embrace this. As an owner, set the tone by visiting regularly with the top 20 percent of your customers and keeping them satisfied. Find out what is on their minds and what additional needs your company can help serve. Aside from creating clarity of direction for your business, there is no better use of your time and talents. Your employees will get the message.
2. Be outcome driven ... expect results, don't tolerate excuses
Never let your employees confuse activity with accomplishment. Develop a climate that expects achievement and not just busyness. Be a leader who admires thinking and planning. Make it clear you insist on intelligent, meaningful action. Be just as clear that you won't tolerate procrastination or excuses. Keep your team accountable for results. It's critical for you to establish a performance and goal-oriented environment.
3. Learning and continuous improvement
A dedicated focus to becoming a learning organization will ensure the continuous improvement of your products, services, systems and people. Consider a twice-a-month, one-hour business improvement workshop with your key employees. For every good idea surfaced, assign a champion, due date and key action steps to take. Remember, a good idea not fully implemented is worthless. If you aren't getting better and brighter, rest assured your competitors may well be. Don't let your employees fear failure. Failure is not fatal, but failing to learn from setbacks and adjusting can be fatal. If your company is not failing occasionally, either your goals are too low or your rate of innovation is too slow. Employees must believe failure is not painful or shameful but merely valuable feedback to position you for success the next time, a kind of "fertilizer" for future success.
4. Maintaining and driving profits
Don't forget profits! Remember both top line and bottom line growth. Focusing only on revenue growth is ego-driven and not smart. Cash flow and profits are your lifeblood. Remember too, while cost containment is important to the health of your company, do not over-emphasize slashing costs. You can only cut so much before you wound your company. Lead an offensive, not defensive strategy for success.
5. Let them know you are in it for the long run
Make sure everyone knows without a doubt you are in business for the long haul. To be successful in business, be a marathoner, not a sprinter. Commit to the highest integrity and ethics, and do what is right, always. Character is who and what you are when nobody is looking. Because business is about sustaining lifelong relationships, remember your reputation is everything. No matter if they are customers, employees, investors, suppliers or advisers, they are the conduit to repeat business and absolutely critical to the life force of your company.
6. Focus on having fun
Finally, focus on making your business fun...even if these tough times. Think of ideas and excuses to praise your team and recognize success. Make coming to work a meaningful and fulfilling event. Whenever possible, invite your external customers, suppliers and advisers to celebrate with you. Success is contagious, and being associated with a winner is a good thing, especially if it's fun.
Business Coaching Challenge: Which of these six areas do you need to focus more on the next 90 days?
Daniel M. Murphy
President, Founder & Business Coach
The Growth Coach
Business Coaching Franchise System