Marketing May Be Everything But FOCUS Is What Makes It Happen!
Posted on October 9, 2007
Filed Under Focus Efforts
We’re an ambitious bunch and there is no limit as to what we can achieve to further our mission and vision of the BYUMS throughout the world. We have the time, talent and ideas we need. There’s no shortage of creative energy. It’s incredible to see so many of us coming together for this united cause full of energy and enthusiasm.
However, it’s that energy and enthusiasm that can cause us to fall prey to one of the biggest downfalls I detect in most of the businesses I work with. It’s called, going after all the bright shinny objects. Who isn’t fascinated by them? We’ve identified a boat load of them after our leadership conference this past week. The question is, which ones will actually get done? Trying to do them all can mean lots of things start but few finish to completion. Just ask yourself, of the projects and plans (bright shinny objects) resulting from last year’s conference, how many did we finish?
FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS! It’s the formula for success. To that end I’ve dedicated myself professionally and personally. Why? Because it works. So with your permission I’ve offered to help forge that focus with the Steering Committee through the use of a process and a tool called, The One Page Business Plan.
The PROCESS is to ask ourselves five key questions:
1. What are we building? (Our Long Term Vision)
2. Why are we building it, why does it exist? (Our Mission)
3. How will we go about building and growing it? (Our Long Term Strategies)
4. What results will we measure to know if we’re succeeding? (Our Annual Objectives)
5. What’s the work to be done, what are the annual projects that must be completed? (Our Annual Action Plans)
The tool is boiling all this down so it fits on one single sheet of paper – our one page focus. Not fair you say to give up some of those bright shinny objects simply for the sake of fitting our top priorities onto a single page? I hear that all the time so let me make this promise. If you achieve your most important priorities all the other stuff will naturally happen as a strategic by-product of your focus. It just does. Don’t ask me to explain or justify it, it just works that way.
So, the TOOL is this single page template that contains five components:
1. Our long term vision.
2. Our mission.
3. Our top nine long term strategies.
4. Our top nine annual objectives.
5. Our top nine annual action plans.
Why only nine and not ten or fifteen? Because more than nine would make it become, The Two Page Business Plan. The software I use utilizes 10pt type. Only so many lines and characters can fit on a single sheet using that size type. And here you thought I was going to tell you there’s something magical about the number nine. 
It all comes down to this – sacrifice. If we can boil down our focus to one sheet of paper and sacrifice all the rest (for now) we’ll have an amazing clarity and direction that is actionable and accountable. Accountability is the key that makes all this happen and the one page plan and process has accountability tools built into it that will keep all of us glued to our commitments.
The next step is for me to quit telling and start demonstrating. I need to show you what all of this looks like. Chet and I are in the process of creating a one page business plan for our chapter and should have it done soon. I’ll figure out how to post it so all of you can take a look at it and envision it for the Steering Committee.
I welcome your feedback now and when the plan is posted. If you like the idea, great. I’m happy to share it. If you want to follow a different paradigm or system for getting things done this year I’ll be happy to participate. Joel
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4 Responses to “Marketing May Be Everything But FOCUS Is What Makes It Happen!”
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Joel, I like your style. I’m going to take a shot at it, but we need everyone’s input. By the way, I knew you posted this because I have an RSS feed. Thanks for starting this off right.
Bill
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article Marketing May Be Everything But FOCUS Is What Makes It Happen! : BYU Management Society: Marriott School Blog, but I guess I just need to check some more resources regarding this, because it sounds interesting.
This is exactly what I expected to find out after reading the title Marketing May Be Everything But FOCUS Is What Makes It Happen! : BYU Management Society: Marriott School Blog. Thanks for informative article
I hope everyone saw the post by Daniel, above. I do not know who he is but apparently he was searching the web and found our site. Robert/Hal: is there a way to request that people who post a comment include your e-mail address so that we can follow up with them if they are “investigating” our website?