By David Schnurman, an EO New York member and CEO of Lawline.com
Forming a perfectly clear strategic vision for your company is a difficult undertaking for any entrepreneur. Whether you want to double revenue, create a new product, change the world, make people happy, or do anything worth dedicating a large portion of your life to, you need to find a path. It doesn’t need to be a lengthy process—in fact, it can take ten minutes. Below is a three-step exercise I recently completed that has made a world of difference with my company and team determination to reach our goals:
1. Ask the question
Our own negativity holds us back too often. Do not focus on what you want to accomplish from afar; you need to start at the accomplishment in order to eventually tell the story of how you got there. This is the most powerful part of the entire exercise.
2. Write it down
Use a large whiteboard to write all the accomplishments your team states during this exercise. The key here: nothing is unrealistic, out of reach, or too big. Have fun with the exercise. The more out of the box the accomplishment is, the more energy will grow in the room as everyone takes turns telling the story.
3. Present it to the company
This last step helps to finalize the vision and how you are going to achieve it. There is nothing like getting an idea or concept to stick than having to communicate it effectively to others. There was this overwhelming consensus that what seemed so out of reach just yesterday was now within our reach. In fact, we were already knee deep in it!
After this process is completed, you and your team must adjust your perspective to act with clear vision and a strategic plan. There can be no more “I think” and no more “maybe” in any of your conversations—instead, it’s now “this can be accomplished” and “yes we will!” Not only will it feel as if you’re already there, but you’ll also actually find yourself there sooner than you thought.
Categories: Coaching Goal Setting
Having a team is the key to the success of this. Positive reinforcement from a group. Individuals try to do it all themselves and tire out because there is no outside energy.
It is the energy gap in any system. The gap between potential nodes is to big for one individual to overcome under normal circumstances. There is only 2 nodes in a simple system of one. And they lie 180 degrees apart. Asynchronous thought patterns, multi-phase alternating current, are the key to individual development. Regular one way thought patterns are a comfort zone and they are face stuffing, shallow breathing, energy sapping redundancy to existence. Thinking is the exchange of ideas between nodes. So in order to overcome the gap the individual needs discipline to form new habits that keep the goal in a motivated state. I know that is the hardest part to over come for me.
The other side is having people that appreciate backtalk and open communication, but preconceived ideas of status quo are what rule the common man. I have a hard time finding a positive environment conducive to growth.