Lost the Box? How to Solve the Puzzle of Your Business Without Guessing
Imagine you have a puzzle with a thousand pieces but no box to show you the final image. You start putting the edges together, recognizing some familiar pieces, but it's challenging without a clear idea of what you're building. You keep working, yet the longer you go, the more you realize how essential it is to see the picture on the box. This puzzle is a metaphor for your business. You and your team are working hard, but do you have a clear vision of what you're building?
As a business owner, when was the last time you articulated your vision to your employees, vendors, partners, and customers? Everyone might be putting the pieces together, but without a clear image, they’re just guessing. Your team—whether junior or senior—should understand why their piece of the puzzle matters. Without that, how can they contribute effectively to the larger picture?
You can’t afford to leave things to chance. Ask yourself: Have I clearly outlined my goals? Do you have a strategy and tactics in place to guide your team toward these goals? Have you set the right metrics to measure progress? Your team, your partners, your vendors—they’re all working hard, but are they getting you closer to your objectives? And do they even know what those objectives are?
Think about this: When was the last time you communicated your vision clearly and with intention? Each person in your organization needs to understand how their work fits into the bigger picture. Are you incentivizing and engaging your team to work toward your vision, or are they working in the dark, unsure of what they’re building?
A Framework for Success: The OGSM Model
Procter & Gamble popularized a model called OGSM that can help any business, from a local bakery to a family-owned plumbing service, stay on track:
Objective: Define clear, measurable goals. Whether it's growth or reducing a negative aspect of your business, your objective should be specific and trackable.
Goals: Attach specific numbers and targets you intend to reach. Set timeframes for when you want to accomplish the goals. These actions will help define what you should measure.
Strategy: Outline the high-level plan to achieve your objective. Include your day-to-day tactics to keep everyone focused on their roles and responsibilities.
Measures: Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate progress. These are your metrics—like a car’s odometer or speedometer—that tell you how far you’ve gone and if adjustments are needed.
Take a few minutes to reflect on how your team would fill in this framework. Could they do it without you being in the room? If not, it’s time to clarify the vision and remove the guesswork from your business.