R.O.I. (Return-On-Investment) is the perpetual vigilance of today’s business leader, and rightly so.  Returns on investments of all kinds are measured by values and percentages.  ‘What did you get?’ and ‘What did you pay for it?’ are the questions through which most transactions are filtered.  It’s standard-issue business thinking.  But some companies can become so immersed in the process of making money that the purpose for an organization’s existence - the overall R.O.I. - can be set aside or completely forgotten. 

The idea of starting a business carries with it not just the prospect of economic gain, but also more grandiose ideas like independence, meaningfulness, and heartfelt service to other people.  In fact, at the outset, these ‘happy returns’ are often given more weight than the possibility of financial prosperity.  Being your own boss, setting your own schedule, and doing what you love are truly perks to be treasured.  But some mistakenly believe that these benefits will come only after the money rolls in - a philosophy that can turn people (including the business owners themselves) into objects to a goal rather than team members contributing to a vision.  If ‘bringing home the bacon’ tramples over values, key relationships, time, and other important commitments, trouble is on the horizon!  Symptoms include stress, poor morale, lack of team unity, high turnover, slack work, and a perceived poor reputation in the marketplace.  Ironically, none of these get our attention until our money boat takes a torpedo.  By the time we have noticed the problem, it can already be too late.

The first step to avoid this scenario is designing sturdy people systems, time systems, and money systems for your business.  An advisable point of departure is writing out an actionable, strategic vision statement - a detailed but succinct statement of purpose for the organization.  This document not only helps you to build a team, but it acts as a strategic measuring tool for everything you will do with your business.  And, yes, it involves asking those original questions you asked at the very beginning: 
“What unique capabilities can we offer the marketplace?” = “What is our Investment?”

 ”What do we envision as the fruit of our labor?”  =   “What do we hope is the Return?”

The answers that come forth depict for you what success looks like - not just in financial terms, but in other vital areas as well.   Some useful questions include:  What’s our true product?  How much growth is enough?  What brings out the best in our employees?  What do our customers say about us when we’re hitting on all cylinders?  How do we determine and measure our success? 

Answering these questions first is of paramount importance for any healthy organization.  If they cannot be answered, measuring progress or success will be virtually impossible - much like trying to put together a giant jigsaw puzzle without having seen the picture on the box.  Without a goal or reference point for activity, no work can really be considered productive!

The primary difference between a strategic vision and a standard mission statement is measurability.  That problem with most mission statements is the use of vacuous clichés like “excellence and quality”, “best in the tri-county area”, or “#1 in customer service”.  The use of such bland terminology leaves an organization in the crowded, corporate fairyland of unmet promises instead of making it unique.  You can imagine how such “values” might ring hollow with people if they are not actually resonating in the marketplace, or within the organization itself.  Therefore, there is a much higher worth placed on actionable, realistic values that truly reflect the core intentions of the company’s leadership.

Once time has been taken to craft a detailed, measurable strategic vision, what will be the organization’s return?        

• A strategic document which acts as a launching pad for all other activities and systems throughout the company
• An authoritative manifesto which will serve them for the next 10-20 years
• A strategic measuring tool for success in every department, at every level
• A statement of values and purpose that resonates with employees & key relationships
• Leverage for enacting positive changes in productivity, management, & leadership
• A definition and perpetuation of the legacy you wish to leave
• A driver for economic success
• The perfect impetus for developing a self-managing team

The investment in crafting a Strategic Vision is measurable in financial terms if only for the clarity it provides.  This is exemplified in systemizing the job functions in your company.  For example, if a president earns $200/hr., but spends 50% of his time doing $10/hr. work . . . well . . . this is indicative of a clarity problem!  The same applies with salespeople who are encumbered by excessive tasks and administrative responsibilities - all of which cloud the picture of an otherwise self-explanatory job function.  Make no mistake; this lack of clarity isn’t just frustrating, it is costly!  But a properly designed strategic vision allows you and your organization to be to be clear on your roles as you all work toward a common goal.

Once the strategic vision is functional and complete, the logical next step is implementation.  This is simply the integration of the Strategic Vision into the working realities of your employees.  We have worked with numerous companies who, after becoming clear on their vision, have experienced definitive improvements throughout their organizations.  Outcomes include, but are not limited to:

• Clarity for employees on the company’s vision and its relevance to their job function
• Exceeding goals and expectations on a regular basis
• Exponential increase in productivity, sales, and commissions
• Motivation to improve themselves and to move up in the company
• Less drama

These are certainly ‘happy returns’ for the business owner interested in building a satisfied, productive team, not to mention a profitable enterprise!

The importance of having a fully functional Strategic Vision can not be understated.  Equipping employees with the strategic tools to succeed is equally vital.  The heart of our work as consultants is to help people enact necessary changes by becoming clear on their purpose (their investment!) and defining the nature of their happy returns.

Jeff Timpanaro is the President of Oberata Consulting, based in Houston, TX.  Oberata is a consulting firm founded on the principles of strategy, process, and transformation, and utilizes the Total Integration^TM system of business consulting. This system has helped business owners and professionals in the Fortune 100 with definitive, measurable operating strategies that produce unprecedented growth and profitability. For more information, call 281.570.4676 or visit http://www.totalintegrationnow.com/