Focus Audit
May 23, 2022
Source the internet for advice and you’ll be pointed in the direction of the future and your vision. And while there’s a time and a place, for those operating smaller teams or maybe even operating solo, sometimes we have to do it all. If you’re in that situation, like myself, I’m here to deliver a dose of reality. Focus needs to be on what’s pressing, not always futuristic. Let me explain:
Business, life, all things ebb and flow, but when we are in a proverbial valley potentially worrying about the current financial situation of your company or business, thinking in the future might be a form of avoidance. “If I just plan far ahead, I won’t have to worry about the now.” But then the “now” slaps you in the face. Ouch.
In a perfect scenario, you would be able to schedule or split your think time equally into the “now” and the “then”. I want you to envision this process as a sliding scale or maybe even a teeter totter, as one responsibility gets heavier, our attention needs to be drawn to create “balance”. In this case, maybe balance isn't a 50/50 split, but an act that we understand. When current operations are running smoothly and the business process is keeping traction moving forward, we shift to future plans. When we notice things slowing down and find ourselves getting lost in the future, we shift to the present. Some may call this reactive, but I want you to figure out what would make it “predictive”.
Here’s some examples:
- What does your pipeline for opportunity look like?
- Is it filled with future opportunities? At what point would it make you uncomfortable? Create a trigger around that as a flag for action.
- Is the pipeline dry? What does it need to get to in order to shift to a future vision? Without opportunity in the pipeline, the future might not matter.
- Understanding your revenue flow:
- Is your business model fee-for-service or recurring monthly?
- What unique advantages or disadvantages does this get you?
- How does each model represent a pro/con? (Hint: I recommend a blend of both)
- What is the average lifespan of your customer?
- Can you do something to extend it?
- Do you simply need to understand it?
- Either way, it allows you to plan accordingly.
Just like we have triggers or notifications to help you sense burnout or overtraining, I want you to write down 3 aspects of your business or process that can act as predictive indicators for you to respond to. Long-term, we always need a split of present and future attention, but the wrong dose at the wrong time can be costly.
Want to talk it out? I’ve provided a link for a 30 minute call to help you on this topic. You can book using the link below!
Interested in learning how to apply this to your clients?
