As a leader, your mindset and ability to provide organizational vision are critical for success. To lead a team anywhere you need to know exactly where you are going. Without a plan, you have no way to measure, win, and repeat.
Let's get you started with one that works for you AND your team.
Write down your plans and commit
If you've worked with Jeff Rogers Coach, you know that it does not count if it is not written out. Jeff taught me that, and I will stick by the statement to the end.
Why did you ask? The answer is straightforward. Or is it?
Something magical happens when the pen hits paper, defining Vision. Clarity is found and connects with the universe. Somehow the universe works in your favor, and you begin to attract the very things you desire. A written vision leads to the actual present and your ideal future.
-Jeffrey A. Rogers, CPMBC
Get started, organize your team, and assess gaps
Step 1) JUST DO IT!
Getting started is the always the first step to fulfilling any plan.
To borrow a phrase from a popular brand, "Just Do It". The mental hurdle of sitting down and starting to sketch out a plan when you don't fully know every step can be massive. The self-limiting belief that you need to know all the answers before you even write a plan out if permitted, will hold you back more than any real-world obstacle.
In this very first step, you don't need to know what every process or system will be, you need a hawk eye view of your goals, to get out of the weeds of execution and really get an idea of where you are headed as a leader and a team.
Once you have an overarching idea of what you want to achieve, then you can dig in and map out a way forward with your team. This will not only help you avoid the analysis paralysis trap, but it will also get your team onboard with clear expectations, targets, and deliverables on their horizon.
Step 2) Know Your Weaknesses!
There is so much focus on your business strength that you lose sight of where your REAL opportunity for growth is.
When you are a leader, you need to know exactly where you are weak so you can either
- Get Stronger and Grow
- Pass on the Task to the most equipped member of your team!
Being a leader does not mean you have to be perfect, the first one in, the last one out, always putting in the most. Being a leader means you are humble, listen, and are adaptable as appropriate.
For you to truly achieve your plans and win in executing your strategy for success, you need to be willing to identify where you fall short and grow from there. The same goes for your team. If you are putting together a detail-heavy strategy and you hand it off to a team member who is a "big-picture thinker", you will fail, that's not their strength. Likewise, If you hand off big-picture projections to "a leave no stone unturned" team member, you will never reach your deadlines, they will still be off in the weeds, turning over the last of the stones.
Truly knowing your and your team's weaknesses will allow you to better position everyone for success. Anyone can be strong in a certain area for a certain amount of time, but depending on the team member, they may crash and burn, because that strength was temporary vs a proven and sustainable resource. If you need help self-identifying your weaknesses, you can download a copy of my "Blind Spots and How to Find Them", tool.
Step 3) Fill in the Blanks!
Now that you have a big-picture, you know who your team is and where they fit on your path to winning, you can take your first steps to fulfilling your plans. Filling in the blanks with measurable action items, systems, and procedures, you are ready to take off! These blanks should help create a living strategy. One that can grow and adapt as market and consumer needs change. Your strategy to win, is just that, a strategy.
If 2020 and Covid taught us anything in business, it was to plan to change the plan. A strong strategy has a direction and a plan that is executable and measurable. If those measurements show that your plan is coming up short, or the world has closed and you need to figure out how to stay open, having flexible blanks like a MadLibs, which will allow you to shift gears and pivot when and where you need to.
Get started achieving your goals today
These tips are simple and broad, well, because just as business is business, every business is different. Each has overarching themes and basic needs, but the unique team of people, services, and products tweaks what the individual strategy needs.
With the right resources, any goal can be achieved. Any Goal.
