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?
Many owners, leaders, managers and employees have a hard time verbalizing what they want from their business. We might not even think much about it. We just show up every day, do what we do and go home. We have a “good” week or a “bad” week, but what makes a week good or bad?
What is it that makes a week in the business good for you? Did you:
- bring 3 more customers into the fold
- contribute something that solved an issue or made a real difference for your company or for a customer
- do something well enough to be recognized and appreciated for it
- produce enough profit to keep the business secure and healthy
- get to spend your time doing what you love and are really good at
Getting what you want begins with being clear about what you want, so before investing considerable time, energy and money into strategy planning and setting business goals and objectives, start with the understanding that all such planning endeavors should result in clarifying what you want and how you are going to get what you want.
If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to read chapter 3 of TRACTION, Get a Grip on Your Business to begin clarifying your vision for your organization. You can also download the Vision/Traction Organizer (V/TO) to document what you want from your business.