Cash Follows Clarity – Question 3 – Leader-Centered vs. Vision-Centered

Posted on April 2, 2009

I hope the questions included in this “Cash Follows Clarity” series will help you to get clear. I mean, crystal clear . . . which is important because CASH FOLLOWS CLARITY.

QUESTION THREE:

Do you have a detailed, written account of what the ideal experience is for you, your staff, and your customers when your business is fully mature?

Vision/mission statements are like opinions – everyone’s got one. But does yours really make a difference? Does it impact daily decision making by you or your team? Is it measurable? Does it offer a clear picture of what your business looks like when it’s serving the right people, in the right ways, for the right reasons?

There are really two kinds of businesses: leader-centered and vision centered. Which of these models is more effective?

Unfortunately for the leader-centered company, everyone’s connectivity to everyone else is based on skills and personality. The ability to work toward a common vision is largely absent. This usually presents itself as an unhealthy reliance upon the leader; where every tough situation requires a staff meeting, a phone call, or an interruption to ask, “Hey, boss, how do we do this again?”

Leader-centered companies also breed a sense of entitlement, where staff are expected to be rewarded for tenure instead of valuable contributions to the goals of the company. The vision-centered company, by contrast, is set up for success. In this model, each person’s success can be measured by their contribution to the vision. Those who are working toward a vision can actually create, innovate, and own their positions. They can look for value in ways that wage slaves can’t.

In this scenario, everyone is expected to not only get the job done, but to consider HOW it gets done. “Can my department improve? How? Where are we wasting resources? Where is our opportunity?” Most business owners feel like the burden is upon only them to ask these questions. But in a vision-centered company full of system builders, everyone is asking these questions of themselves. Imagine the difference for your own company if this were the case!

WHAT DO I DO NOW?

You must write out your vision, which starts by answering three questions:

Who do we serve best?
How do we serve them best?
Why is this a viable, honorable way to spend our lives?

Answering these three questions will pave the foundation for a vision centered company.

FOR A GREAT STRATEGIC VISION . . .

You should look into some support or coaching. Virtually all of my clients begin with Strategic Vision because almost no one has one. If you know you need to do this but you’re just tired at the thought of it, call me for assistance at 281.570.4676 or email at jeff@oberata.com. Your vision is the most critical business system . . . without it, you will never have the clarity you need, and neither will those who are working with you.

Another “do it yourself” option: you can actually purchase the Total Integration “Strategic Vision” template for $295.00 here: Total Integration Store. This template will guide you through a comprehensive process of getting this done – but expect the process to take a bit longer if you’re going to do it on your own; possibly 2-3 weeks (10-20 hours real time).

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