Insights

FOCUS ON THE TARGET!

My one and only experience at the greyhound races is a day I will never forget. My college friend and I carefully review all the greyhounds listed on the racing form and then place our first bet – $3 on a long shot named Daffy.

We are in the bleachers, the excitement is building, the bell rings, the greyhounds are off to the races dashing madly around the oval track. We jump to our feet to see over all the people standing and cheering in front of us.

Only one problem… Daffy is running as fast as the wind in the opposite direction! Daffy missed the most important piece of the strategy to win…chase the mechanical rabbit! Focus on the target!

The same thing happens every day in companies large and small. Studies show(1) that only 30% of managers can list their companies top strategic priorities! That means 70% of managers are not clear on which target to focus on. Imagine the trickle-down effect of the 70% of managers not knowing which target to focus on. People are moving in all different directions as fast as they can or worse, they are not doing much of anything at all.

Studies show that only 30% of managers can list their companies top strategic priorities!

Lack of clarity costs time, money, morale, and potentially reputation. Entrepreneurs and investors are bearing the multiple costs of unclear messaging and misalignment in the form of salaries wasted on low priority projects, lackluster performance, and mediocre customer service.

To help my clients address lack of clarity in their business, my Clear Leadership Dashboard is a straight-forward, remarkably effective one-page framework for leaders to clarify and document strategic priorities, key initiatives, key relationships, development opportunities, and measurements of success.

The tool is an excellent anchor to help individuals and teams struggling with overwhelm and time and priority management. It provides focus and helps teams stay grounded in rapidly changing environments.

It sets the foundation for a clear communication strategy to educate, motivate and align your team with a compelling vision, clear priorities, clear decision rights, clear roles, and clear metrics.

Clarity of thought is the entrepreneur’s and executive leader’s first step towards team engagement, alignment, and execution.

[1] No One Knows Your Strategy – Not Even Your Top Leaders, by Donald Sull, Charles Sull and James Yoder https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/no-one-knows-your-strategy-not-even-your-top-leaders/;

When CEOs Talk Strategy, 70% of the Company Doesn’t Get It, by Jimmy Leppert, Kotter https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkotter/2013/07/09/heres-why-ceo-strategies-fall-on-deaf-ears/#413d8fec3663

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Barbara Abadi

Barbara Abadi is a strategic thinker and insatiable learner with more than 25 years of experience in international banking, consulting, and executive coaching.

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