Fresnel Lenses & Focus

“A Fresnel lens is a type of compact lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses. The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design. . . A Fresnel lens . . . [allows] the light from a lighthouse equipped with one to be visible over greater distances. They have long since been replaced by alternate technologies in the lighthouse application but remain well known today in the theater spotlight application.”
– Wikipedia article on Fresnel Lenses

I first heard about a Fresnel lens when I met Paul Clough of Fresnel Partners. I always inquire as to the origins of company names. Paul and his partner believe that the name perfectly describes the value proposition they bring to their clients. Their tagline is “We bring power and focus to your business.”

Focus Brings Power to Your Business

We EOS Implementers also believe in focus. The concept of focus underlies many of the tools we teach our clients to help them get more of what they want from their business. Here are a few examples:

• In the Vision Traction Organizer (V/TO)™ we ask our clients to document 3-7 discovered Core Values which describe the company culture and serve to attract great employees.
• Additionally, in the V/TO, we ask our clients to identify 3-7 key goals in their 1 year plan on which they are going to focus throughout this year which will set them up for an incredible next year.
• Also, in the V/TO, we ask our clients to pick just 3-7 Company Rocks (most important things to accomplish) to focus on in each 90 day period which supports their execution of their business plan this year and supports the annual goals leading to a great next year.
• In the marketing section of the V/TO, the client describes the 3 Uniques which set them apart from all competitors in their space.
• We also teach the use of a Scorecard which keeps track of just 5-15 activities on a weekly basis which, if they exceed their goals, should lead to their company’s desired outcomes this quarter.
• The same principle permeates EOS thinking on Core Processes. We teach that there are typically just 6-12 of them which document our company’s way of doing business in such areas as human resources, marketing, sales, operations, finance and employee and customer satisfaction.

You get the picture. Less is More. As Al Ries told us in his book Focus, mere sun tan lotion can protect us from the billions of watts of energy being unleashed upon us by the sun while a laser beam can focus light and cut through diamonds and steel. How focused are your efforts in your company? We have some tools which can help.

Next Steps

• Learn to focus your team by watching this video: 8 Questions for Your Leadership Team
• Download the EOS V/TO and Scorecard to use in your own company