The Secret Tool That Will Exponentially Impact Change

You and your spent months building it, honing it, even sharing it with your company. But, when was the last time you truly engaged with your strategic plan or – if you are a company running on EOS – your Vision/Traction Organizer (V/TO)? I’m not talking about a cursory glance, but a deep examination of where you are and where you're going. 

Maya is the talented founder of a technology company. Her company had “hit the ceiling,” and she felt stuck. No matter how hard they worked, they weren’t making any progress on their revenue or other growth goals. 

By reviewing her strategic plan or V/TO, she transformed her business. 

How did she do it? 

As a tech company whose growth was skyrocketing, Maya’s team had one constant: innovation and change. The team worked hard but continued to fall short of their quarterly financial goals (“Rocks”) and annual profitability goals. Low morale was beginning to become the norm.

The leadership team embarked on their next quarterly offsite. Historically, in an effort to be efficient, they would review – but avoid any real analysis of – their short-term and long-term goals. Recognizing the need for a change, the team agreed to spend time reflecting on their V/TO. Everything was up for grabs. 

And, something remarkable happened. 

The team took each element of their plan and unpacked it. They shared their genuine fears about the future goals. They captured these fears as issues for their Issues List. They were open and honest and listened. Rather than resisting feedback, they identified the true obstacles and aligned as a team. They agreed that through solving the identified issues, they would break through the ceiling and hit their quarterly and annual goals.

They also achieved an unintended result. 

They aligned on a renewed vision that was simpler and even more compelling. They used that vision to guide every project, decision, and innovation. They rediscovered the 'why' and it became the compass and guiding direction behind their work, engaged at a new level, and shared this passion companywide.

When was the last time you unpacked your strategic plan or V/TO? The V/TO may look simple. But the impact? It's profound. 

Great leadership starts with a clear vision. Block some time and give yourself the gift of remembering why you do what you do. Then, share that vision with your teams, including at your quarterly State of the Company meetings and departmental weekly Level 10 Meetings. Print it and give copies to your team so they can keep it at the forefront. In doing so, you unlock the true potential of your teams and set the stage for growth and innovation.