December 16, 2024

Why “HOW BIG” Should Be Your First Business Planning Question

Why “HOW BIG” Should Be Your First Business Planning Question

Traditional business planning often feels like a broken record.

You analyze your strengths and weaknesses, craft a direction, set goals, then massage the numbers until they appease the higher-ups.

But the approach I created (and was successful in driving a startup to A BILLION IN SALES) prioritizes financial goals as the starting point in building a strategy.

Here’s a new way to start: decide HOW BIG you want to be.

This seemingly simple question, HOW BIG? is the lynchpin of a more effective planning process.

Here’s why:

Financial Goals Drive Strategy — Traditionally, financial results come after the strategy.

But what if you flipped it? Setting ambitious growth goals (25% vs 10%) forces you to develop a bolder strategy with different tactics.

Think of new markets, strategic partnerships, or innovative marketing approaches.

Stretch Goals Spark Creativity — Setting a ‘realistic’ goal won’t push you to innovate.

Your HOW BIG target should make you sweat a little. It should force you out of your comfort zone and into creative problem-solving.

24 Months, Not 5 Years — The world changes fast.
Long-term plans create a false sense of security and can delay necessary actions.

Focus on a 24-month window that allows for agility and responsiveness to unforeseen events.

How to Craft Your HOW BIG Goal

▪️Push for Boldness: Don’t settle for a target you can achieve with business-as-usual. Aim high and force yourself to get creative.

▪️Embrace Discomfort: Your HOW BIG goal should feel risky. It’s supposed to push you outside your comfort zone.

▪️Focus on Intent: This is a declaration of ambition, not a detailed roadmap. You’ll figure out the “HOW” later. It will drive you to innovate.

▪️Challenge Trends: Don’t just project past performance. Disruption is the name of the game.

By prioritizing your HOW BIG ambition, you create a strategic plan that fosters innovation and positions you for real growth.

Cheers,
Roy
My Podcast Show My Podcast Show Audacious Moves to A BILLION shares the specific Moves I made to achieve jaw-dropping growth in an insanely competitive internet business.

”The Audacious Unheard of Ways I Took a Startup to A BILLION IN SALES” is the latest in my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series.

• Posted 12.16.24 at 06:00 am by Roy Osing
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December 9, 2024

Why Reacting to Unforeseen Events is a Great Competitive Strategy

Why Reacting to Unforeseen Events is a Great Competitive Strategy

In today’s volatile business landscape, the only certainty is uncertainty.

Traditional business planning, with its meticulous five-year forecasts and predefined paths, falls short in the face of real-world unpredictability.
Instead, building a corporate culture that thrives on reacting to unforeseen events can offer a competitive edge that’s more crucial than ever.

In a recent podcast with The Business Association in Canada, I explore the dynamics of fostering a ‘reactive culture’ and why it is instrumental in maintaining a competitive stance.

Embracing the Inevitable Uncertainty

Why is reactive capacity indispensable to business success? The simple truth is that the future rarely adheres to our plans.
Entrepreneurs frequently encounter unforeseen challenges—‘body blows’—that force a rethink of even the most carefully crafted strategies.

The hallmark of a successful business is its agility: its readiness to pivot and adapt when unexpected circumstances arise.
This doesn’t just ensure survival; it allows the organization to harness the momentum of change, redirecting it towards new opportunities and innovative solutions.

Why Traditional Planning Falls Short

Conventional wisdom advocates for exhaustive planning, leveraging all available tools to perfect a strategy.
However, this approach often leads to inflated expectations and, ultimately, disappointment.

The reality is, no plan can account for every variable in an imperfect and ever-changing world.

Success hinges not on the perfection of the plan itself but on execution and the agility to learn from that execution.

A more viable method is to devote 20% of efforts to plan creation and a significant 80% to execution planning.

The necessity of reacting aptly reflects the day-to-day realities businesses face, making responsiveness a core competency in achieving success.

Gaining Competitive Advantage Through Reaction

While many organizations invest heavily in front-end planning, leaving them ill-prepared for unforeseen disruptions, few cultivate a reactive culture.
These entities often fail to formulate a viable Plan B and struggle to cope with inevitable change.

On the other hand, organizations that embed a reactive ethos within their culture can absorb shocks and nimbly maneuver through challenges.
This adaptability not only ensures resilience but also positions them to capitalize on new developments quicker than the competition.

Building a Reactive Organization

Transitioning to a reactive business model requires transformative leadership and a commitment to long-term cultural change.

This shift challenges the ingrained focus on perfecting ‘the plan’ and calls for a flexible approach to direction-setting and execution.

Leaders should gradually relax tight directional control, adopting a more flexible stance that emphasizes execution, learning, and adaptive strategies.

A customer-centric focus also becomes paramount. Ensuring close alignment with customer needs fosters loyalty and provides insightful cues on necessary adjustments in times of change.

By intimately understanding customer journeys, businesses can anticipate market shifts and stay ahead of the curve.

Initiating Change from the Top

For leaders committed to building reactive organizations, the journey begins with setting the context for rapid, informed action.

The focus should be on developing ’just about right’ plans that are broadly accurate yet allow for in-flight adjustments.
This involves simplifying internal processes, reducing bureaucracy, and aligning organization values around responsiveness to change.

Embed the ethos of reactivity in the company’s core values: “We will react to unexpected challenges to not only survive but grow and thrive.”

By redefining success around agility and readiness to respond, organizations are better equipped to tackle the tumultuous nature of today’s markets, ensuring they not only survive but seize opportunities that arise amidst the chaos.

Cheers,
Roy
My Podcast Show My Podcast Show Audacious Moves to A BILLION shares the specific Moves I made to achieve jaw-dropping growth in an insanely competitive internet business.

”The Audacious Unheard of Ways I Took a Startup to A BILLION IN SALES” is the latest in my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series.

• Posted 12.9.24 at 06:00 am by Roy Osing
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November 25, 2024

The Art of Customer (Dis)Service: Audacious Ways to Alienate Your Customers

The Art of Customer (Dis)Service: Audacious Ways to Alienate Your Customers

In today’s competitive business landscape, customer service is often hailed as the cornerstone of success.
However, there are those who take a rather unconventional approach, as illustrated by the audacious and tongue-in-cheek strategies outlined in this manifesto on how to sabotage customer relations.

Let’s delve into these strategies and why they are the perfect recipe for driving customers away.

Alienation Move #1 — First on the list is avoiding eye contact with customers.
It creates an atmosphere of indifference and can communicate a lack of interest in their needs.

Pair this with being all business and eschewing any human connection, and you’ve effectively turned an engagement into a robotic transaction.

Customers crave personal engagement, and failing to provide it gives them no reason to return.

Alienation Move #2 — Hurrying through the customer transaction process is another bold move.

While efficiency is key in service, rushing customers can make them feel like they’re just another number in a queue. This lack of care and attention can convince them to take their business elsewhere.

Moreover, in the restaurant business, when they seek your opinion on a menu item, you’re advised to only offer your personal, potentially negative, views rather than reflecting popular feedback, further alienating and confusing them.

Alienation Move #3 — Enforcing company rules to the letter, regardless of logic, is another effective alienation tactic.
Being inflexible and using “no” as your default response fails to create an accommodating environment, instead fostering irritation.

The guideline to essentially brush off customer complaints with a symbolic “get lost” signals that their concerns are irrelevant and unworthy of attention.

Alienation Move #4 — Pushing products incessantly without addressing customer problems only compounds the sentiment of insincerity and distaste.

Customers feel valued when they believe a company is genuinely invested in solving their issues, not just making a sale.

Alienation Move #5 — The recommendation to dismiss customer problems and advise them to “stop whining” perfectly encapsulates how not to empathize with clients.

Alienation Move #6 — Passing off responsibility to others under the pretence of “It’s not my responsibility” is an expert deflection technique for those looking to avoid accountability.

It not only frustrates customers but also erodes trust in the brand, signifying that helping customers is not a priority.

Alienation Move #7 — Ultimately, never making commitments and clearly communicating a lack of intention to support them (as humorously suggested by the “No fu*cking way” mantra) promptly sends customers packing.

While this list serves as a tongue-in-cheek guide for driving away business, it highlights the importance of genuine customer service.

Businesses thrive when they foster positive, engaging, and solution-oriented interactions with customers. In stark contrast to these “strategies,” focusing on empathy, flexibility, and a personal touch can ensure customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Cheers,
Roy
My Podcast Show My Podcast Show Audacious Moves to A BILLION shares the specific Moves I made to achieve jaw-dropping growth in an insanely competitive internet business.

”The Audacious Unheard of Ways I Took a Startup to A BILLION IN SALES” is the latest in my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series.

• Posted 11.25.24 at 06:00 am by Roy Osing
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November 18, 2024

Why Great Leaders Are Fantastic Note Takers

Why Great Leaders Are Fantastic Note Takers

In the dynamic world of business leadership, the act of taking notes might seem trivial at first glance.
However, this simple practice can significantly influence an organization’s performance over time.

Surprisingly, few leadership discussions bring up note-taking, yet it remains a vital tool for audacious leaders aiming to make a lasting impact.

Why should a business leader take notes?

Note-taking is a strategic act that directly affects strategy execution. It forms a crucial element of the LBSA (Leadership by Serving Around) approach.

Listening is a hallmark of audacious leaders, with note-taking serving as the tangible expression of this skill.
By taking notes, leaders not only capture valuable insights but also demonstrate dedication to understanding their teams, inspiring their employees to join the journey and aligning everyone toward common goals.

For leaders, note-taking is an indispensable learning tool.

I was an avid note-taker throughout my career, documenting anything that could enhance execution and improve our strategic direction.

I took notes whenever I engaged with individuals across the organization, particularly those with insights into how things were going—from structured employee meetings to spontaneous one-on-one conversations, and even while eavesdropping on informal discussions.

The benefits of taking notes are numerous and impactful.
First, it’s a visual leadership act that builds leader currency, illustrating a tangible commitment to valuing and integrating employee feedback.

It also reinforces the LBSA leadership philosophy, ensuring a leader’s decisions are rooted in accurate, firsthand understanding of the organization’s pulse.

Notes offer leaders the clarity needed to address strategic execution issues, cleanse internal obstacles, and gain insights into competitive activities, ultimately refining their strategic effectiveness.

Despite these advantages, not all leaders embrace note-taking. Many still adhere to a “command and control” style, often more comfortable with issuing directives than gathering team input.

This is where note-taking becomes an audacious act. Few leaders incorporate such practices, making it a bold departure from the norm and highlighting a unique leadership style focused on inclusion and active listening.

For leaders interested in developing this audacious approach, starting with note-taking is essential.
Prioritizing LBSA principles can guide this transformation.

Leaders should engage their teams by asking questions and continually clarifying their understanding. Being visibly engaged in this process demonstrates a commitment to incorporating team feedback into strategic initiatives.

Furthermore, leveraging technology can streamline and enhance the note-taking process, making it easier to capture and organize valuable insights.

However, capturing notes is only the beginning. Following up is equally critical. Leaders must act on the information gathered, ensuring it translates into meaningful action and drives strategic initiatives forward.

By doing so, they not only enhance their own leadership effectiveness but also empower their teams, fostering a culture of transparency, collaboration, and collective progress.

Note-taking is not just a mundane administrative task but a powerful leadership tool.

By embracing this practice, audacious leaders can improve their strategic execution, inspire their teams, and align their organizations toward achieving shared objectives.

Though it may seem simple, note-taking can be one of the most transformative actions a leader can take to truly drive organizational success.

Cheers,
Roy
My Podcast Show My Podcast Show Audacious Moves to A BILLION shares the specific Moves I made to achieve jaw-dropping growth in an insanely competitive internet business.

”The Audacious Unheard of Ways I Took a Startup to A BILLION IN SALES” is the latest in my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series.

• Posted 11.18.24 at 06:00 am by Roy Osing
• Permalink