Traction Tip: Less Is More

Most business owners are eager to see a lot of things happen for, and in, the business each year. So eager that they usually try to do too much. This usually results in very little, if any, of the goals actually being achieved for the year. This lackluster performance is likely due to one of two reasons.

First, a lack of commitment by others on the team. The owner/founder is typically a Visionary who sets high and lofty goals. Others on the team weren’t asked for their ideas or input or didn’t speak up. So, the owner sets all the goals and the rest of the team just goes along with no buy-in. They agree to the goals, but don’t own them.

The other reason is that too many goals are set. The Visionary has a lot of ideas and high aspirations for the business. But when it comes to getting things done, it’s up to the rest of the team to make it all happen. Chris McChesney, author of The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals, writes “Many teams have multiple goals—sometimes dozens, all of which are priority one. Of course, that means that nothing is priority one.” The more goals you set, the less likely it is that you achieve any of them.

One of the leadership abilities taught in EOS® (Entrepreneurial Operating System) is “Simplify.” We encourage leadership teams to set just a few goals. No more than seven. With everyone focused on achieving just a few goals for the year and holding one another accountable for achieving them, a lot more progress is made as the company advances and grows.

Which would you rather: be wildly successful achieving one or two goals that line up with the core purpose of the business, or make lackluster progress on a dozen goals? Interested in talking about setting the right goals and ensuring that they are achieved? Let’s Talk

Entrepreneurial Operating System® and EOS® are registered trademarks of EOS Worldwide (http://www.eosworldwide.com/).