Does your management team can clearly articulate where the business is headed. As they communicate it to all staff is their enthusiasm inspiring? Do they walk their talk?
Many companies I have worked with do not achieve this- instead they either lack an agreed strategy, preferring to react to the market or, if the leadership team has a clear vision, the rest of the company feel they are in the dark.
As a result they look like other companies, making it unclear why potential customers should choose them. What is more, with the leadership team pulling in different directions their departments are not aligned and massive resources and effort are wasted. Their results and growth is far more unimpressive than it should be.
Consider how that compares with Apple. They have such a powerful vision that it inspires the whole company. You just have to interact with them to pick up their passion for what they do. As a result Fortune Magazine recently announced that, after 30 years they are “just a hair behind Microsoft in sales… [holding] their lead in market capitilisation since it first surpassed it in May.” They go onto say “While it may be bigger in value thanks to a meteoric stock surge, Apple’s revenue and earnings still fall short compared to Microsoft. But that’s about to change.”[1]
Most business plan consulting misses the point. Business planning should predominantly be about:
· creating a vision that will unite the leaders to such a point that they cannot resist inspiring their staff- so that every single person is galvanized into action
· where you will focus in order to achieve that vision
· who will do what in order to ensure you meet your goal- different teams working together as a whole
· what you will track to ensure excellent progress
A good business plan consulting firm will ensure you achieve this quickly and effectively. They will not just save you time- they should actually save you years of mediocre performance.
Are you ready to develop a vision that inspires your company, your customers and all onlookers to the same degree that Apple has done?
If so, take this business assessment and find out where your business stands today. www.growtharrows.com/business-assessment/
[1] By Andy M Zaky http://techfortune.cnn.com/2010/07/19/apple-closes-in-on-microsoft-in-revenue-race/#more-31485
