Stay the Course: Avoid the “Shiny Stuff”

Shiny Stuff 1

No matter what stage your business is in – whether you’re just getting started or you’re enjoying the fruits of your labor – it’s easy to lose focus.

Maybe it’s a new idea you or a member of your leadership team has. Maybe it’s an opportunity you’ve been presented with. Or maybe it’s a client request that doesn’t really fit the product or service your company provides.

New ideas, opportunities and requests are not necessarily negative things. They can help you grow and become more profitable, as long as they are in line with your business’ sweet spot.

But sometimes they can be distractions that sabotage your progress. The Entrepreneurial Operating System™ refers to these distractions as the “shiny stuff”.

Resist the Shiny Stuff

As a leader, you have the added responsibility of determining when a new idea or opportunity is within your focus, and when it’s the shiny stuff. If you turn your head to look at that shiny stuff, your team turns its head, too. And your organization will lose its forward momentum.

EOS recommends that you resist the shiny stuff by clearly identifying your business’s purpose.

Define Your Core Focus

In order to stay on track and continue your success, your leadership team needs to decide what business you are in – and stay there.

First, clearly define the reason your company exists. Core Focus doesn’t describe what industry you are in – it defines your purpose, cause, or passion. It’s the reason you get up every morning. The second part of Core Focus is your niche. Your niche is what separates you from your competition. It’s the one thing that you do better than anyone else.

Now that you know your Core Focus, do not allow anyone or anything to distract you from it. Steve Jobs said it best: “Focus is about saying ‘no’”.

Does your business need help staying focused and avoiding the shiny stuff? If so, contact us. We can help.

About EOS

EOS is a holistic management system with simple tools that help you do three things we call vision, traction, healthy. Vision from the standpoint of first getting your leaders 100% on the same page with where your organization is going. Traction from the standpoint of helping your leaders to become more disciplined and accountable, executing really well to achieve every part of your vision. Healthy meaning helping your leaders to become a healthy, functional, cohesive leadership team.