Chaper 3: Vision. I had to laugh, because if you review the examples of everyone thinks what makes them unique they're pretty much the same. Whereas part of the V/TO has merit, I think it's often silly and oversimplified. I don't think it works with complex use cases: I'm going to give it an 8, because I see what he's aiming at, but too much of it was too buzz-wordy. Define clearly what your business will look like 3 years from now—this facilitates your 1-year planning and is near-term enough to be highly motivating. Get each member of your leadership team to write down their 3-year mental picture and read it out (while the others imagine it with their eyes closed). Debate and agree on the picture you’re committed to create, including revenue, profit and other measurables (e.g. # clients or volume of output). What’s our 1-year plan? First, you have to allow for issues to be discussed by fostering an open and honest work environment to allow issues to be uncovered and flow up to leadership. The problems can then be organized into one of these Issues Lists to promote transparency and solve the problems:

Every entrepreneur must decide whether to operate the business as a dictator or with a strong leadership team. Schedule weekly a 1-hour appointment with yourself that you don't cancel. This is creative time where you look to develop new ideas, take care of problems that continue, Etc. This creates more Effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity. The visionary is a creative idea person, whose new ideas keep the company growing. In contrast, the integrator manages the business nuts and bolts: profit and loss, and overall business objectives. On the chart, department heads should report to the integrator/CEO, who reports to the visionary. The GWC ToolYour target market (your ideal customer based on such things as geography, demographics, income or company size, and so on) Dan Moshe, founder and CEO of Tech Guru, for The Business Journals‘“The most important business books ever written” I'd recommend this book if you want to transform your company or are starting a new company. It offers a total solution for operational excellence that impacts every aspect of running a business. Some of the content may seem familiar if you tend to read a lot of business books. (In fact many of the main points are quoting other authors.) But there are several great insights in this book that are not available elsewhere, and they are quite helpful for any business owner or executive leader. This book does a good job of taking the key principles of business success and making them actionable. For example, before reading this book I would think, feel, and say that "I hated meetings". This book changed the way I look at meetings, but it didn't stop there. It then gave me a system on exactly how to conduct great meetings. Now, I can say that "I used to hate poorly planned meetings", but now I cannot emphasize strongly enough the importance of regular meetings, because they are efficient and effective, and necessary for team communication. Quarterly State-of-the-Company Meeting: This recurring event should explain how the company is doing in terms of its goals and reiterate the vision to everyone. Step Process Documenter – helps you systematize processes for your people to have more control and freedom over their work; consists of the following three steps:

Hiring the right people: The people who will fit and thrive in your culture are the ones who share your key values. The “People Analyzer” tool is a report card for grading people on your values to see if they’re a good fit. Your ability to succeed is in direct proportion to your ability to solve your problems. The better you are at solving problems, the more successful you become.” In EOS, everyone in the company should have something they do to contribute value to the organization that is measured consistently: Quarterly Departmental Meetings: This recurring event occurs at the department level (marketing, operations, finance, etc.) and helps establish priorities. Since implementing the entrepreneurial operating system outlined in [ Traction], my company has been more productive than ever. . . . The book brings proven business best practices from the top thought leaders in business into one hands-on manual that you can apply today.”Marketing Strategy – defines “your ideal customer and the most appealing message to attract them to your business; provides a laser-like focus for your sales and marketing efforts;” consists of four parts: Besides the major functions or departments, businesses typically have two other roles: an integrator (a CEO or president who coordinates the work of the departments) and a visionary. Often these people are partners or co-founders. Your three-year goal: In writing your three-year goal, focus on measurables and bullet points, not details—that is, focus on the end point rather than the potential hurdles. Your issues: With your leadership team, discuss and list any issues you’re likely to encounter in pursuing your vision. Maintain and continually update your issues list as part of operating your business. 2) People Imagine you’re on a desert island somewhere. … All you have is a piece of paper with a handful of numbers on it. These numbers must allow you to have an absolute pulse on your business. What are all of the numbers that must be on that piece of paper?”

As an entrepreneur, I am always looking for frameworks for my business and trying to grow myself as a leader. There is no road map for transitioning from a solo-preneur to having employees. The Traction model has 6 cogs in a wheel that work together to ensure a business has traction in growth and income. In the video, I share each of these six core ideas and how they apply to the Organize 365 Dream Team. In each box, list the key roles of each function as bullet points. For example, every position on the chart with direct reports has at least three roles—leading, managing, and holding people accountable (LMA). Ensure that everyone follows the processes: As the company’s leader, make clear your expectation that everyone, including your leadership team, will follow the processes.The Scorecard contains the metrics or data to show performance, identify and solve problems, and remove subjectivity from communication. It should include the following: Year Target – “a long-range, energizing goal for the organization, ranging from five years to twenty years out;” helps help frame the shorter time-based goals for three years, one year, and quarterly Step 3: Set the due date for meeting each priority (usually it’s the last day of the quarter). Define each priority so that it’s specific, measurable, and doable. For example, a priority might be: “close three major sales.”