Over the last couple of weeks we wrote about the importance of organizations being both “Smart” and “Healthy.” We discussed how the road to Smart and Healthy starts with getting everyone on the “Same Page.” The first step to getting everyone on the Same Page is to get everyone on the leadership team working off of the same playbook or operating system. I shared that my EOS colleagues and I have had a lot of success teaching teams how to master a simple operating system comprised of what we call the Six Key Components™ (Vision, People, Data, Issues, Process, and Traction). Today we are going to focus on how to start getting everyone on the Same Page and that is by mastering what we call the Vision Component™.
And, believe it or not, in many ways the Vision Component is the simplest of the Six Key Components. All it really takes for complete mastery is a couple-step process. First, it’s vital to get everyone on the senior leadership team on the Same Page with regard to the answers to eight simple questions. Then, it’s incumbent upon the leadership team to help the rest of the organization understand and then buy into answers to the “Eight Key Questions” (“EKQs”).
While this may sound easy, the truth is it typically takes several months of refining the answers at the senior management level and then many more months of presenting, explaining and repeating (typically up to seven times) to the rest of the organization. That said, our experience shows that Organizational Health increases dramatically once 100% of the senior leadership team and at least 80% of the rest of the organization genuinely agree with regard to the answers to the EKQs.
So the obvious question is what are those eight particular questions?
1. What are your Core Values?
2. What is your Core Focus™?
3. What is your 10-year Target™?
4. What is your Marketing Strategy?
5. What is your 3-Year Picture™?
6. What is your 1-Year Plan?
7. What are your Quarterly Priorities?
8. What are your Issues?
Over the next couple weeks, we will drill into each of the questions and talk about why being on the same page with regard to the answer to each one of each them is so important for Organizational Health. That said, allow me to get ahead of the process and share with you one really cool thing associated with the EKQ’s: the answers are all the information one needs to fill out a powerful 2 Page Strategic Plan which we call your Vision/Traction Organizer™. It really is a super simple tool and you can download a copy here here.
Until then, be well.
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