These essential tools will help you get the most out of your company.
As business people we’re always looking to increase the success of our organization. Regardless of where the company is in its life-cycle – pre-revenue, start-up or long-established, every organization can benefit by focusing on four elements: an effective vision statement, a strategic plan, exercise a positive mental attitude and self-discipline.
Vision Statements – The role of the vision statement is critical to your organization. As Adriana Girdler notes in her book, The Value of Vision, “the vision statement is what we do and why we do it.” Your organization’s vision statement acts as an inspiring, unifying and directive force for everyone in the organization. If you don’t have one, get one. If you do have one, make sure it’s effective, and everyone – employees, customers, shareholders – everyone knows what it is. For step by step instructions on how to write your vision statement, visit this blog: 6 Simple Steps To An Amazing and Inspiring Vision Statement.
Strategic Planning – Take the necessary time to establish where your organization is now. Use the tools of a SWOT analysis, lessons learned, market research, and an overview of your financials. Determine where you want it to go – Establish the link between your vision statement and your over-arching strategic goals. Outline how you will get there. What are the objectives, strategies, and tactics that will see you reach your vision? By having a strategic plan you’re planned, focused and you eliminate needless busy work and fire-fighting. Everything you do is contributing to your vision and your success.
Positive mental attitude – Again, as business people we have more than our fair share of opportunities to meet face-to-face with negativity. In order to reach our vision and be successful we need to be able to exercise a positive mental outlook. This doesn’t mean looking at everything through rose colored glasses; it means you have a choice to respond to something in a negative or positive manner. For example, you didn’t get the contract you were hoping to. Ok, what positives can you take from this situation? By looking at what the positive is in situations, you continually find ways to deal with day-to-day issues in a manner that moves you toward your vision and does not paralyzes you from negativity.
Self-Discipline – So, you have a vision of where your organization wants to go, you have a strategic plan, and you’ve resolved to look for the positive in every situation – Great! However, there’s one more key thing that you need to do. You need to be able to exercise some self-discipline. You’ll need to acknowledge what you need to do to be successful. Make a routine and stick to it. For example, if you don’t feel motivated when you’re in your home office if you are still in your pajamas, change into your work clothes. Commit to self-discipline. Sometimes you just need to do certain things to move forward.
If you’re looking for ways to be more successful as an organization, focus on making sure you have an effective vision statement, a solid strategic plan, a positive mental attitude and self-discipline.