Not too long ago, I was sitting in a strategy meeting with a client whose CEO is a big picture kind of thinker. He has to be in a position like his. In order for him to move the business forward he has to think with the end in mind. Bottom line, what are his employees trying to achieve on any given day of any given year? Their achievements are their outputs – the proof of their labor.
In this particular meeting we were advising our client to think specifically about each input. What must be done to arrive at each outcome? Thinking in this way requires a level of detail some owners are less accustomed to. As a business gains traction, understandably the owner’s role shifts, and often they have to be somewhat relieved of the granular approach of thinking in terms of inputs. In order to keep their eye on the prize (i.e. growth) their vision is focused on what lays ahead – the pies in the sky, that are achievable … if, they consider the inputs.
Take one business goal – growing revenue by 10% in three years. The goal is the center of what the company does – it’s the rock, the hubcap. What employees are actually doing are the spokes and support the end accomplishment.
If a company is in need of reflection, there is a helpful exercise one can do to organize your thoughts. As described above, mind-mapping illustrates the relationship between outcomes and inputs and at quick glance, one sees all the elements that roll up to the ultimate goal. Whether scribbled on paper or designed in the user-friendly website Mindmeister, the act of brainstorming has powerful effects on your next steps.
If your goals seem unachievable, it’s likely your mindset needs some tweaking. Maybe energy is just a little lacking. Try mind-mapping your plans and couple it with leveraging your sincerity, reliability, and competence to communicate your plans. The likelihood of achieving your goals increases immensely.
Studies have shown: trust is critical to business, and if there’s a true or even perceived lack of it between employees and leadership, implementing change and making it stick is significantly compromised.
With that being said it is important, as a leader, to ensure trust is one of the main inputs into your business. You won’t get trust as an output without first inputting it. At eQ we often recommend people start from the end and work their way to the beginning. It’s a bit like running a race backward. If you know how you’re going to feel at mile 26, it’s easier to plan for miles one through 25.
Know your desired outputs – it makes your inputs a lot more tactical, and a lot more successful.
