As many of you will know, or may have heard about before, one of the benefits of being part of our community are the quarterly 90 Day Planning meetings that all of our clients come along to. These days are a great opportunity to learn from each other but their purpose is to get clarity around the core focus and goals for the quarter ahead.
Last week we have our final session of 2024 where we were looking at what we need to achieve to end 2024 on a high, but this quarter we got our clients to think a little differently about how they are going to approach their plans and head into 2025 with clarity around their goals and their long-term vision.
Based on the book “Traction” by Gino Wickman we took clients through the steps to create a Vision/Traction Organizer (VTO). This is simple but powerful tool designed to bring clarity and focus to your business, helping you to align your team around a shared vision and clear goals.
This is a great time of year to start thinking about the end of this so here is why the VTO is so effective and how you can use it to set your business on the path to growth and success.
What is the Vision/Traction Organizer?
The VTO is a one-page document that puts your business vision and plan into clear, actionable elements. It’s designed to help you create a roadmap for where your business is headed and what needs to happen to get there. The beauty of the VTO lies in its simplicity—it focuses on the most essential components of your business strategy without overwhelming you with complexity.
The Two Sides of the VTO: Vision and Traction
The VTO is split into two main sections: Vision and Traction
- Vision is all about defining where your business is headed in the long term.
- Traction is about breaking that vision down into short-term, actionable steps to make it a reality.
Together, these two elements ensure that you have a clear direction for your business and the focus needed to achieve it.
Below is a break down the key elements of each section and how they contribute to the success of your business.
Vision: Where You Want to Go
The Vision side of the VTO answers the big questions about your business and helps you define your long-term goals. It includes several key components:
- Core Values: What are the core principles that guide your business decisions and shape your company culture? These values need to be clear, non-negotiable, and shared by everyone in your organisation. Defining your core values helps you attract the right team members and clients and make decisions aligned with your mission.
- Core Focus: What is your business all about? The core focus defines your purpose and the niche where your business excels. This is where you clarify your “why”—why your business exists and what sets you apart from competitors.
- 10-Year Target: Where do you want your business to be in 10 years? Setting a long-term target gives you and your team a clear goal to strive toward, providing a sense of direction and purpose. This is your big-picture vision.
- Marketing Strategy: How are you going to reach your target market? This includes defining your target audience, your unique selling proposition (USP), and the messaging that will resonate with your customers. It’s important to get crystal clear on who your ideal customer is and how you will speak to their needs.
- 3-Year Picture: While the 10-year target sets the big vision, the 3-year picture helps you break that down into more tangible milestones. Where do you want the business to be in three years in terms of revenue, profit, and other key metrics? What will the business look like at that point?
Traction: How You’ll Get There
The Traction side of the VTO is all about execution. It’s where you take your long-term vision and break it down into short-term, actionable steps.
- 1-Year Plan: The 1-year plan is a crucial part of gaining traction. It’s the bridge between your long-term vision and daily operations. What are the specific goals you need to achieve this year to stay on track for your 3-year picture and 10-year target? This plan should include concrete objectives in key areas like revenue, profit, and team growth.
- Rocks: Rocks are the 90-day priorities that will help move your business forward. Wickman’s philosophy is to focus on a few critical goals each quarter—those that will have the biggest impact on your business. Each team member should have a clear understanding of their rocks and how they align with the overall vision.
- Issues List: Every business has challenges, and the issues list is where you document any obstacles that are standing in the way of achieving your goals. This allows you to prioritise and tackle these issues in a structured way, rather than letting them linger or derail your progress.
Why the VTO is So Important
The Vision/Traction Organizer serves several crucial purposes for business owners:
- Clarity: The VTO forces you to get crystal clear about where your business is headed and how you’ll get there. It simplifies the process of strategic planning by focusing only on the most critical elements.
- Alignment: A well-executed VTO aligns everyone in your company around a shared vision. When everyone understands the long-term goals and their role in achieving them, you can move forward as a cohesive unit.
- Focus: The VTO helps you avoid shiny object syndrome. Instead of chasing every new idea or opportunity, it keeps you laser-focused on what matters most to the success of your business.
- Accountability: By setting clear goals and priorities, the VTO creates a framework for accountability. Everyone knows what they are responsible for, and there’s a clear roadmap for measuring progress.
There really is something to be said about having the clarity, focus, and alignment that a VTO can bring. Defining your long-term vision and creating a practical plan for achieving it. By taking the time to define your vision and map out a plan for execution, you’ll set yourself up for long-term success.
If you would like to find out more about how to create a VTO in your business, get in touch and we can support you.
