Twice a year, Bill Gates goes to a remote island hide-a-way for a week at a time. No, he's not going for a fishing vacation; instead of rods, reels, and lures he takes market analyses, position reports, engineering reports, and opportunity papers. In solitude he reads and thinks and reads some more, writing notes in the margins then composing questions, thoughts, and his own positions that will impact the future of Microsoft and the entire technology industry for years to come.
Getting away from the daily pressures for an extended period of careful thought and consideration in his "Think Weeks" are the way Bill Gates works on the vision of the company, determines what new projects to pursue, and plans for the future. It is the same rigorous work and thought process that CEO's of every business should pursue. Do you?
Now, I'm not suggesting that you should take a "Think Week" twice a year. Your business is much less complex than Microsoft. But, if your business is to remain competitive in this business environment and grow, you must take some think time. Maybe you need to take a "Think Hour", a "Think Afternoon", a "Think Day", or even a "Think Weekend" with no telephones, no people, and no distractions. Go off onto that remote island (even if it is just behind your closed door with a "do not disturb" sign and a disconnected phone) to put the interruptions of the day-to-day far away. Have an agenda. Ask yourself some hard questions:
"Is the business on track to fulfilling my vision?"
"Is the growth rate or profit rate on target"
"If not ? what can we do to improve it?"
"Where is my industry headed in the next five years and how do I position my business to take advantage of the changes?"
"What changes in our company culture, policies, strategies, and tactics are necessary and how do we implement them?"
If Bill Gates can get away from his multi-billion dollar business for two "Think Weeks" a year, you should be able to do it for two "Think Afternoons." It will make a difference.
Larry Galler, a Coach and Consultant, works with Owners and Managers of small and mid-size businesses to substantially increase sales volume and profitability through creative marketing strategies and streamlining or eliminating "administrivia."
To learn about ways Larry helps businesses acheive their goals visit http://www.larrygaller.com
detailed home cleaning Park Ridge ..In this small article we'll concentrate on farmers associations and... Read More
How important is a vision statement to your company or... Read More
Imagine an office without a desk, or lights, a computer,... Read More
Most companies that are worthy of raising venture capital have... Read More
Succession planning, like any business acumen, is both an art... Read More
How are you feeling today? Good, not so good, great?... Read More
One of the difficulties we face in our industrialized age... Read More
Many companies are reluctant to dive into outsourcing ocean because... Read More
Have you ever done a SWOT analysis? No, it's not... Read More
These may sound like no brainers, but you'd be surprised.... Read More
Writing a business plan for a franchised outlet of a... Read More
People often ask "What makes a good business plan? Or,... Read More
How you finance the expansion of your business is important.... Read More
A strategic alliance is when two or more businesses join... Read More
"Most great plans aren't. They are just nice, high-level ideas."That's... Read More
In Ohio: besides the 3-Cs you should look at Akron,... Read More
Human beings are rational agents. Rationality endorses one to take... Read More
What do Mark Victor Hansen, Robert Allen, Anthony Robbins, Andrew... Read More
Here's a really simple way to make sure your plans... Read More
"Bozo" ? A clown with a forlorn look, always finding... Read More
So you've decided to write your own business plan because... Read More
The boom of the dot-com era in 1999 brought the... Read More
It is always said "If you Fail to Plan, you... Read More
More than $117 billion passed hands from Internet shoppers to... Read More
I am not a big fisherman, but I do enjoy... Read More
express cleaning service Des Plaines ..Q: A key investor in my business has suggested that... Read More
You know you need a business plan. You probably realize... Read More
Let us look at a few of the big distribution... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains, former Great Plains Dynamics is excellent fit... Read More
When looking at Akron carefully one cannot help but notice... Read More
Possibly THE most frequently asked question of me is "What... Read More
Obviously, there will never be an actual water shortage since... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains fits horizontal markets clientele and in case... Read More
It is always said "If you Fail to Plan, you... Read More
In 1997, David Steele was making the transition from a... Read More
One of the key challenges for any business is to... Read More
Although North Americans were the dominant population on the Internet,... Read More
You have invested a lot of time and energy on... Read More
Running a business, whether it be an offline multi-billion dollar... Read More
Succession planning, like any business acumen, is both an art... Read More
I am not a big fisherman, but I do enjoy... Read More
Growth through acquisition should not be considered an option reserved... Read More
If you are a manufacturer wanting to use your business... Read More
Most companies that are worthy of raising venture capital have... Read More
When developing the competition section of your business plan, companies... Read More
As a franchisor it is imperative that you seek, find... Read More
Part 1A few weeks ago I attended a seminar sponsored... Read More
Many companies are reluctant to dive into outsourcing ocean because... Read More
If you're a solo professional like I am, you know... Read More
Building a dynamic small business is a constantly evolving, increasingly... Read More
Strategic Planning |