In a prior life, I often found myself dealing with about 136 issues daily, hoping to solve as many business problems as possible. But, no matter how many issues I moved off my desk, the next day there’d be a few more there waiting for me. I measured my productivity and success by how many problems I could solve. Often I found myself solving the same issues over and over again. Sound familiar?
The acronym “S.M.A.R.T.” is a filter to create goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. Each is important to setting goals but it’s the last one, “timely” that creates the urgency necessary to achieve a goal. And, nothing ensures timeliness like a deadline. Setting and then meeting business deadlines creates traction, and traction is the real test of an effective, cohesive leadership team. Without traction people are just spinning their wheels.
At EOS Worldwide, we believe Entrepreneurial Utopia exists and that it is achievable. By our definition, Entrepreneurial Utopia is not an imaginary place of ideal perfection; it’s an ideal condition inside organizations that is reality, especially for those who won’t settle for anything less. If you’ve been there, you know exactly what we mean.
Entrepreneurial Utopia exists in organizations where:
Great leaders keep themselves and their organizations focused on two things – their why and their what.
Gino Wickman’s book is called “Traction” for a reason. When an organization gains traction, it moves forward. Things change, issues get resolved, and the business improves in some meaningful way.
Does that seem like an unrealistic expectation? Is it selfish or inappropriate to want something specific in return for all we invest in our businesses?
