The Only Path To Quick Results

You ever ran 100 miles an hour in a certain direction only to realize your were running the wrong way?  I know I have.  The best way to prevent this from happening and in the process realize quicker results is to have clarity behind what you are doing.

Some people may read the above message and think that trying to gain clarity will slow down their ability to produce not speed it up.  I am not saying that you need to completely vet out every idea and move that you want to make because no plan is fool proof.  What I am saying is that you should have a general idea of what you are doing and what you are trying to accomplish.

Don’t be afraid to breath.  There is benefit in gaining clarity for these reasons:

Less Wasted Effort: This just come down to understanding the results you want.  For too often we start something without even thinking about the finish line and what that might look like.  This isn’t to say that you will be right but it does help at least point you in a more accurate direction.  Time is precious in business.  Use it wisely.  Sometimes you only get one shot.

More Production: This is a no brainer.  Having a focus allows you to work on the right things rather than being distracted by all of the wrong things that interfere with productivity.  Things like phone calls, e-mails, useless meetings, etc.

Saves Money: When you are focused, your business doesn’t waste money.  They tend to hire better people.  They employ the right marketing strategies for their business. They also understand what activities are going to positively affect the bottom line.

Keeps Your Team Engaged: Nothing kills team morale more than not knowing where their efforts are taking them or their business.  Consider this scenario:  Your boss has you work on a report that takes the better part of your work time for 2 weeks.  After handing in the report, your boss tells you that they aren’t moving in that direction anymore and sorry he forgot to mention it.  That sucks.  Unfocused businesses are morale killers.

Focus in your business seems like a no brainer yet I am surprised at how poor of a job that business owners do at taking the time to gain some additional clarity around why their business exists and formulating strategies for getting there.  If you find that your business lacks focus, take some time and work on getting a clearer picture.  Get other people involved if you need to.

How have you failed or succeeded because of focus?

Tags: business results, clarity, efficiency, focus, productivity, small business
Posted in Ideas and Strategy | Comments Off