It’s happened thousands of times before: strong businesses with healthy models and enviable profits come crashing to the ground. While many factors can lead to a business’ demise, more often than not a lack of focus is at least part of the problem, if not the very heart of the matter.
How can your business distinguish which endeavors are worth pursuing and which will turn out to be missteps? Ultimately, it’s having a clear vision of what your company is and what it can become, and choosing to focus on doing things to bring you closer to that goal each and every day that will get you there.
Here are three simple criteria to help you discern what really matters.
1.) Is this in line with our values? — When considering any big paradigm shift or market maneuver for your business, you should first consider whether the move violates any of your company’s core values. Even seemingly good business moves can hurt your company if they’re not made with the company’s guiding values in mind. Upgrading to a form of collaboration software with online document collaboration can help you share your values across all levels of your organization.
2.) Does this help accomplish our vision? — Some things may help in the short term but ultimately fail to help you achieve your long-term goals. You should be utilizing cloud-based project management software to help your project management teams make accurate and illuminating projections to this end.
In addition, your tools and workflows should all be geared to helping build up momentum toward your ultimate vision, rather than simply working to get through the day, week, quarter, or year.
3.) Does this make our company better? — As you think for the long term, it’s best to make decisions that don’t just provide a small source of profit for a while, but instead actually help innovate your processes and grow your company for the long haul.
Are you still using Microsoft Project or other Office products? Perhaps it’s time to move from MS Project to modern project management services such as Workzone or Basecamp. Building infrastructures that can handle the level of volume and quality you’re aiming for in your vision statements is key.
