Connecting Strategic Focus To Measurable Outcomes For Business Success
Clarity and focus are key to business growth and success and are at the core of every goal-driven business. Stephen Covey famously said, "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." But what does this mean in practice for businesses and their leaders? And how does identifying a 'critical number' elevate this concept from a guiding principle to a practical tool for achieving your business goals?
Understanding the 'Main Thing'
The concept of the main thing is designed for businesses to gain complete clarity on what they strive to achieve. It's a focus tool that ensures you, your leadership and the wider team are aligned and moving in the same direction, undistracted by the noise that often sidetracks business initiatives.
The Challenge of Clarity
When we ask the business leaders we work with about their 'main thing,' the responses are often varied and reflect a lack of unified vision within the team. This diversity in answers highlights a critical gap in clarity and focus within the business, underscoring the need for a more cohesive understanding of the business's core objectives.
The Power of the Critical Number
Jack Stack's concept of the 'critical number' in "The Great Game of Business" complements the idea of the 'main thing' by introducing a quantifiable measure of success. This number acts as the most powerful scorecard, keeping the main thing on track by providing a clear metric to gauge performance and progress.
Combining the Main Thing with a Critical Number
The true power lies in linking the 'main thing' with a 'critical number.' This connection transforms a broad strategic focus into actionable, measurable outcomes. So your entire team knows where you want to go while having an indicator of whether you're getting there.
Set and connect your main thing to your critical number
Identify Your Main Thing: Engage your leadership team in defining the core focus of your business. This should be a reflective and collaborative process to ensure alignment.
Determine Your Critical Number: Choose a metric that directly reflects the success of your main thing. This could be revenue growth, customer satisfaction scores, or any other key performance indicator relevant to your main objective.
Align and Communicate: Ensure every team member understands the main objective and the critical number. This clarity will guide their decision-making and prioritise initiatives. Moreover, each employee must comprehend how their role connects to and supports achieving the critical number. For example, in a recent client quarterly meeting, confusion arose about the finance team's role in supporting and enhancing sales targets. The finance team could contribute to achieving the sales objective by using clear sales dashboards, margin analysis, and customer analysis.
Track and Adjust: Regularly review your critical number to assess progress towards your main thing. Be prepared to adjust strategies as necessary to stay on course.
Businesses with company-wide clarity, focus, and measurable objectives set by business leaders and their teams are the most successful. By defining your 'main thing' and linking it to a 'critical number,' you create the foundation for aligning the entire business for success.
In business, knowing the score is not just about keeping track; it's about winning.
Ready to infuse your business with clarity and actionable insights? Our Visage Growth Advisors are here to help. Get in contact with us, share your business challenges, and let us craft a path for your business success.