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TL;DR: If we want to lead motivated and engaged teams that consistently execute at a high level, we must give them something wildly important to FOCUS on.

FOCAL POINT

We have met the enemy and he is us

If science tells us the human brain can give full focus to only one single object at any given moment, why do so many leaders pursue too many things at once?

The answer varies.

Some of us fall into the Ambitious & Creative (AC) Camp. And while every organization needs ambitious and creative leaders, AC Campers tend to always want to do more, not less.

This camp is naturally hardwired to violate the discipline of focus.

Some of us fall into the Hedge-Your-Bets (HYB) Camp. And while not putting "all your eggs in one basket" makes sense (most of the time), HYB Campers tend to overspread themselves and their teams by attempting to do 438 things at once.

This camp likes to "throw everything against the wall to see what sticks".

No matter what leadership camp you fall under, the greatest challenge we face in narrowing our goals is saying no to a lot of good ideas. Nothing is more counterintuitive for leaders than saying no to good ideas.

Truth be told though, nothing destroys our power to execute more than multi-tasking and trying to turn everything in our daily whirlwind into a goal.

If we want to lead motivated and engaged teams that consistently execute at a high level, we must give them something wildly important to focus on.

We must narrow our teams' focus to one or two wildly important goals (WIGs) and consistently invest our time and energy into them.

Identifying Your Wildly Important Goals (WIGs)

Asking yourself "What's most important?" when identifying your WIGs is the wrong question. This question leaves you running in circles because the urgent priorities of your daily whirlwind are always competing to be the most important.

Instead, start by asking yourself "If every other area of our operation remained at its current level of performance, what is the ONE area where change would have the greatest impact?".

This question changes your perspective and allows you to identify the focus that moves the needle most.

Your WIGs could come from within the daily whirlwind, such as poor project completion time, out-of-control costs, or unsatisfactory customer service, or from outside the daily whirlwind, such as launching a new product or service.

Your aim is to:

1. Identify your WIGs
2. Achieve your WIGs
3. Make the new level of performance a natural part of your daily operation.

In other words, the ultimate goal is to sustain your teams' new level of performance so you can move on to the next WIG with a stronger foundation.

Achieving your WIGs in this manner is the key to transforming your organization into a goal-setting, goal-crushing machine that achieves consistent, predictable, and sustainable growth.

Rules for Applying the Discipline of Focus

Aligning your organization so that everyone is focused on achieving your WIGs is a huge challenge.

Lucky for us, there exist rules (4 to be exact) for applying the discipline of focus across your entire organization.

Rule #1 - No team focuses on more than 2 WIGs at the same time

There may be dozens or even hundreds of WIGs across your organization.

The key to getting everyone focused on their WIGs is not to overload any single leader, team, or individual.

In a perfect world, everyone in your organization would be focused on your WIGs 100% of the time.

The real world tells a different story, however. It says people will still have to deal with the incessant demands of the daily whirlwind.

If you overload them with more than 2 WIGs at a time, they'll focus on none when the daily whirlwind demands priority.

Violate Rule #1 and you lose your focus as an organization. The game will be over before it begins.

Keep this in mind before you move on to Rules 2, 3, and 4.

Rule #2 - The battles you choose must win the war

The only reason to fight a battle is to win a war.

Your lower-level WIGs (battles) must ensure the success of your top-level WIGs (war).

Once you choose a top-level WIG, your next question, "What are the fewest number of battles necessary to win this war?", is critical.

The answer to this question determines which and how many lower-level WIGs will be needed to achieve your top-level WIGs.

Choosing the right battles, the ones that win the war, clarifies and simplifies your strategy.

Rule #3 - Senior leaders can veto, but not dictate

After senior leaders determine top-level WIGs, they must allow the leaders at each level below to define the WIGs for their teams.

This leverages your leaders' knowledge, engages them, and creates a greater sense of ownership.

It is impossible to create the high levels of commitment that execution requires if your entire strategy is cooked up by senior leaders and handed down to the leaders and teams below.

Senior leaders reserve the right to veto battles if they feel the ones chosen are not going to win the war, but they do not dictate.

Never that.

Rule #4 - All WIGs must have a finish line in the form of from X to Y by when

A WIG is a tactical goal with a limited time frame.

All WIGs must have a clearly measurable result and a date by which the result must be achieved.

For example, a sales-focused WIG could look something like this:

"Increase sales revenue of Product A from $1 to $2 Million by July 1, 2023.".

The from X to Y by when format recognizes:

1. Where you are today
2. Where you want to go
3. The deadline for reaching your goal

Goals without this kind of clarity lack the measurements that let teams know what the score is.

And if your team doesn't know the score, they won't know if they're winning or losing. They won't know if they're meeting their goals or if they're headed in the wrong direction.

In Closing

Narrowing your focus increases accountability and your team's engagement.

When a team moves from having too many "we-really-hope" goals (or no goals at all) to one or two wildly important goals, the effect on morale is dramatic.

Keep in mind that the four rules of focus are unforgiving.

Like the law of gravity, the rules governing focus don't care what you think.

They aren't concerned with the details of your particular situation. They simply yield predictable consequences when violated.

As always, stay aware, stay educated...and most importantly, stay cool.

Talk soon, 
Old Man Winter

Source: The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey & Jim Huling

BY THE WAY

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THE MORE YOU KNOW

A Guideline to Walk-in Cooler Costs

One of the first questions a business in need of a walk in cooler asks is: "How much does a walk in cooler cost?"

The short answer is "it depends".

But I know that's not the answer you came here for, so I'll try my best to break down some general pricing guidelines for a walk in cooler in this article.

Buying a walk in cooler is much like buying a home in a model home community. Price ranges vary depending on the size, location, finishes, floor plan, and extra features of the home.

Let's say a basic home in one of these communities starts at $500,000. This home can easily cost over $600,000 when you add a lakefront lot, pool, Brazilian cherry wood floors, marble kitchen counter tops, and high-end appliances.

Why are so many homeowners comfortable paying substantially more for a home? Because most people understand the importance of getting what they want right the first time to avoid costly headaches and regret down the road.

Most Americans spend at least 13 years in their homes. They want to make sure their home will provide the comforts they desire.

The same principles apply to businesses in need of a walk in cooler.

Whether you're a foodservice equipment dealer, refrigeration contractor, wholesaler, restaurant owner, or just someone in need of cold storage equipment, this information will help you understand the costs associated with a walk-in cooler.

Let's dive in together.

Keep Reading →

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