A business owner’s biggest responsibility – and perhaps biggest challenge – is working on the business, and not in the business. What this means is you should not spend all of your time in the day-to-day activities of your company. To be an effective leader, you must be able to plan and predict to ensure you are making progress.
EOS™ implementers often tell a story of a group of people cutting a road through a jungle to their town. They are incredibly productive, work together efficiently, and make great progress. But in order to get where they are going, one of their leaders needs to climb a tree now and then, to be sure they are cutting in the right direction. The leader looks ahead and predicts to make sure the group’s effort is leading them to their town in a straight line, not cutting circles or making zigzags.
To lead your company in the right direction, you need to make both long-term and short-term predictions.
Long -Term Predicting
Long-term predicting forecasts everything 90 days and beyond. EOS helps you accomplish this by identifying your 10-Year Target, 3-Year Picture and 1-Year Plan. You will be recognizing where you want to be in the far future, and working your way back. This is a simple approach to strategic planning that gets everyone on the same page with the company vision.
Short-Term Predicting
Short-term predicting is what happens during your day-to-day, week-by-week activities. If leaders are entangled in the details of the daily grind, they will not be able to focus on where the company is headed. Before they know it, issues will clog up the process. This is one of the reasons why we teach IDS – identify, discuss and solve – to deal with problems and issues. Your ability to solve issues on a daily or weekly basis will positively impact the long-term goals for your company.
EOS encourages its leaders to “climb the tree” regularly to see the big picture and make sure you are on the right track. Part of leadership involves constantly adjusting, realigning and assessing to make sure all of your work is taking you where you want to go.
Predicting is not about knowing for sure what the future will hold. No one has a crystal ball or will be able to foresee the future with 100 percent accuracy. But by planning, predicting and solving issues, you will move your company forward and meet your long-term goals.
Do you need help with long-term and short-term predicting for your company? 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.
