Knockout Blogs!

‘Are you running blind in your business?’

I see this a lot in small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs. Usually if the passion element of purpose is in place they are running really enthusiastically, but often blindly, and sometimes into a brick wall or off a cliff! I want to talk to you today about what does running blind mean?

There are 4 elements of ‘blindness’ or ‘blind-spots’ in business where I see the bigger issues occur.

Let’s explore them in terms of adventure…

I’m an adventurer, I love my adventure and endurance events, and the same principles occur as those in business.

1) Do you have a destinationpoint? If you are climbing a mountain or running a marathon, you need to know where you are going - an end point. Another example is if you are planning a trip or holiday you need a destination point. So, what’s your destination point in business? It sounds simple but most people don’t know and most business don’t have adestination point. Stephen Covey said it brilliantly with“begin with the end in mind”. In business what is this end in mind? In BGI Strategy on a Page terms we talk about this as Purpose - why do you exist as a company and what does the exit look like?

So really - where are you going as a business, what is the destination and what does the endresult look like? If you don’t know and don’t have one you’re running blindly. You’re in a hamster wheel, doing stuff but not sure where it’s allgoing.

That’s the first blind spot – knowing the destination.

2) Next, you know where you’re going, so you need a map so you can work out how to get there – that’s strategy. Strategy is the map. Some people don’t know where they are going or have a map to get there, so they have no plan. If you don’t have a plan you can go round in circles not knowing how to get there even if you have a clear destination.

That’s the second blind spot – having a map/strategy.

3) The third blind spot in business is choosing the right vehicle. Keeping with the adventure theme, let’s say you have your destination point as New York, you have a map and then you choose a push bike to get there. If you start in the UK that bike won’t get you to New York, a bike won’t get you across the ocean – you chose the wrong vehicle!It’s all about choosing the right vehicles in business. Vehicles areelements of strategy, sometimes the vehicles are the people to get you to the destination, sometimes the vehicle is the system or structure and sometimes it’s is the strategy.

So, you need the destination, the road map and the right vehicle.

Like travel like business. So think about what vehicles andwhat models you have got in place in your business. Have you got the right people(are they the right vehicle)?

If you put these things together you start to get clarity and destination and you are no longer running blind in business.

Here’s the kicker.

The above things are the more obviousin business, there is something else to think about.

Even if you have the first three; you have themap, destination point, the vehicles. Now what’s your dashboard?

For example, you’ve chosen New York as your destination, got amap, and identified that there’s an ocean, so you know you are going to need a ship or planeas your vehicle.

Now (whatever vehicle you are in) you have to check your dashboard.

For example in an airplane you want to know what height you’re at or you could fly into something. If in you’re in a boat you want to know about the tides and your speed.

4) You need to measure the right thing because even if you have a clear destination point, you have a map of getting there and you have the right vehicle you can still crash and spectacularly if you get it wrong. In business examples can include running too fast, measuring the wrong thing or being guided in the wrong way

That’s what I’m talking about when I ask are you running blind in your business? BGI Strategy on a Page created an app around these points.

Purpose starts you at your destination point – where you’re are going with the business. Thenyou create your road map –that’s the strategy element to help you get there. Then we helpyou to get the right vehicles/strategies/ values etc. We make sure the vehicles are in place to get you there.We hold you accountable on the journey but most (andperhaps more importantly), with business growth indicators,we measure the progress. That’s your dashboard and helps you prevent crashing the business unnecessarily on the way.

So, ask yourselfa question ‘are you running blind in your business?’

Think about the 4 points inbusiness:

• Are you clear in your destination?
• Do you have a strategy and map?
• Have you chosen the right vehicle?
• Areyou measuring the right things?

We want to help you take theblind fold off, get clarity and give you a clear vision and direction of where you are going.

Now,we have producedloads of resources around this. If you haven’t already go sign up to BGI Strategy on a Page Fast Track programme (enter link). In this are two hours of training that will go through the purpose elements in more detail to get you clear of destination points and take you through the 5 criticalareas of strategy. It’s my gift to you.

It’s all about bringing strategy making it excitable, fun and bringing it alive.

Come and join the revolution in strategic planning!