Everyone Makes Mistakes -- Admit It!

When we are wrong, we should admit it quickly and emphatically. - excerpt from Warren Buffet's Management Secrets by Mary Buffet and David Clarke

Delegate

Each and every business is unique. Your employees are better at doing their individual jobs than you are. If we want the business to grow, we must delegate authority. Managers like to be left alone to run "their businesses." And the managers we hire need to be hard working, intelligent, and most important, honest. - Excerpt from Warren Buffet's Management Secrets by Mary Buffet & David Clark

Offer a Solution

Your vision is a solution to a problem. When you link a problem that people are convinced needs to be solved with a clear and compelling solution, you have the potential to capture their hearts. - Excerpt from Making Vision Stick by Andy Stanley

Maintaining Vision

Every organisation is different, even though the people in every organisation are pretty much the same. We all need to be reminded why we are doing what we are doing. We need to be reminded what's at stake. We need to be reminded of the vision. And we need it more often than most leaders realize. - Excerpt from Making Vision Stick by Andy Stanley

Taking Responsibility

When it comes to making your vision stick, here is the most important thing to remember: You are responsible. It is the leader's responsibility to ensure that people understand and embrace the vision of the organisation.
We are all tempted at times to blame the people around us for their inability to understand and act on the vision we have cast. But when the leader blames the follower for not following, the leader has ceased to lead. If the followers don't get it, we probably haven't delivered the vision in a way that makes it get-able. We are responsible for keeping the vision of our organisation at the forefront. It is up to each one of us to make sure there is alignment between the activity and vision of our enterprise. - Excerpt from Making Vision Stick by Andy Stanley

Define the Vision

Every vision is a solution to a problem. If your vision doesn't get traction, something that needs to happen won't happen. A problem will continue to go unaddressed.
To make your vision stick, your audience needs to understand what's at stake. It's the what's at stake issue that grabs people's heart. Only a clear explanation of the problem will cause people to sit up and say, "Something must be done!" If your target audience doesn't know what's at stake, the vision will never stick. - Excerpt from Making Vision Stick by Andy Stanley

Summary of Making Vision Stick-Andy Stanley

Summary of Making Vision Stick-Andy Stanley

One of the greatest challenges of leadership is making vision stick. In this book Andy Stanley gives sound advice on how to make your vision stick. Over time leaders can sometimes lose sight of the vision and get side tracked by other irrelevant issues. Success lures you into taking your hands off the wheel. Failure causes you to overcorrect. Both success and failure can lead to success.

Andy states five things that you can do to make your vision stick:

1.       State the vision simply

If your vision is going to stick in people’s minds, it must be memorable. People don’t remember or embrace paragraphs. They remember and embrace sentences. For your vision to stick you may need to clarify or simplify it. As you evaluate your vision statement you need to keep in mind that it is better to have a vision statement that is incomplete and memorable than to have one that is complete and forgettable. The bottom line is that if you want your vision to stick it needs to be easy to communicate.

2.       Cast the vision convincingly

To cast a convincing vision you have to define the problem that your vision addresses. Every vision is a solution to a problem.

3.       Repeat the vision regularly

In the third step Andy says it’s important that you repeat your vision regularly. Casting your vision once is not enough to make it stick. He says this is not a difficult task but it won’t happen if the leader doesn’t take action.

4.       Celebrate the vision systematically

The fourth step teaches us that we need to take a pause so that you can celebrate the wins along the way. Celebrating the wins does more to clarify the vision than anything else. Some leaders consider celebrations as a waste of time. But when you celebrate the right things, you are using the most effective form of vision casting says Andy Stanley.

5.       Embrace the vision personally

The final step in the process requires you to embody the vision of your organisation. When you live the vision you establish credibility as a leader. If you embody the vision people come to believe that your job is more than just a job to you. We need to know that there are those that just fabricate a vision from the beginning. They talk the talk publicly, but privately they are operating entirely from a different set of values. If you say you believe in something, live it out. And live it in a way that the people around you can see it. That’s not arrogant. It’s liberating.

Maintaining your vision is difficult, both organisationally and personally. God has called you to be what he wants you to be. Making your vision stick requires bold leadership. Seeing a vision become a reality requires more than a single burst of energy or creativity. It requires daily attention. Embrace the vision and do whatever it takes to make your vision stick.

WHAT VOICE ARE YOU LISTENING TO?

WHAT VOICE ARE YOU LISTENING TO?

Often we allow the chaos and the rumblings of the world to clutter our vision and thoughts.  Discern who you are listening to.  Make the voice is one of peace and order.  If that voice is chaotic your life will be chaotic.

“and your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:21 

Seeking his own

Seeking his own

Are we mindful of others?

Do we seek to do good to others?

Is it all about me, myself and I?

Are you on this earth for yourself without any consideration to anything but your own cocooned little world?

Do you live in reverence to others and God?

Are you contributing every moment to the order of the world and the hope of the world? Or are you just another parasite?

When men say, “Does God see? Does God know?” then they seek every man his own. And, if they can, they turn like tigers upon each other—society is torn to pieces and the weak are devoured. A world without God is a world without fear, without Law, without order, without hope.”[1]

There is someone who is always seeing and somebody that reads our thoughts and mind.

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[1] The planter of the ear must hear No. 2118 Intended for reading on lord’s-day, December 15, 1889.

Delivered by c. H. Spurgeon, At the metropolitan tabernacle, Newington, On Thursday evening, October 31, 1889.

Are you impatient?

Are you impatient?

Many times we need clarity on certain things in our life. 

Yet we are not prepared to wait for the answer.

We rush in were angels fear to tread!

 Isaiah 64:4

From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you,

who acts for those who wait for him.

Do you stubbornly refuse to listen?

Do you stubbornly refuse to listen?

Are there people telling you that you are doing the wrong thing?   Is God speaking to you clearly but you will not listen?  What are you stubbornly refusing to hear?

               

But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. Zechariah 7:11  

Are you afraid to hear the Truth

Are you afraid to hear the Truth

Many times we are afraid to confront the Truth or the reality of our situation.  It is often to our own advantage to confront the things we are doing wrong so that we can rectify them.  This in itself takes a huge weight off our shoulders.  Confronting the Truth takes away the cloud over our judgment.

Deuteronomy 5.25  

Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, we shall die.

Who do you look to as your mentor?

Who do you look to as your mentor?

Jehovah Raah – is the name of God meaning the Lord is my Shepherd

Transliterated the word ra'ah a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative):--advise self, appear, approve, behold, certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed,X indeed, joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), sight of others, (e-)spy, stare, surely, think, view, visions.

Who are the people you are looking to as your mentors?

Are you taking advice from the right people?

Who do you respect as someone who will advise you correctly?

Reference : Psalm 23

Who are you listening to?

Who are you listening to?

“And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.” (Mark 4:24-25 ESV)

Is what you hear from God or man?

“The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise.” (Proverbs 15:31 ESV)

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“Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.” (Luke 8:18 ESV)

What is your attitude to that which you hear?

“for the ear tests words as the palate tastes food. Let us choose what is right; let us know among ourselves what is good.” (Job 34:3-4 ESV)

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“This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” (Matthew 13:13 ESV)

Do you see without understanding, are you blinded by your own will and do you hear but not understand due to your own stubbornness?

The Threshingfloor

The Threshingfloor

Transformation is from within and from the top down – Values underlie the Mission; Vision is born on the threshingfloor(place of business – the marketplace); Vision drives passion; Passion fuels the business.

· Values determine Mission, Vision and Strategy – these are determined at the highest level of the organization and fed through whole organization

· Transformation takes place from within and is not merely change but fundamental change and re-newing of the mindset

· Customer is the focal point that all components of the business revolve around

· Competitor analysis enhances customer service and determines core competencies

· Pricing structures are determined by quality and service levels

· Marketing is focused on target market and customer needs

· Value analysis of business expenditure to ensure customer satisfaction

· Training and competency of staff and management are vital to serve customer needs

· Time management and organizational structure enhance excellence in customer service

· Business processes and controls are efficient to satisfy customer service levels

· Owners and top management life skills and capabilities drive vision and strategy implementation to sustain the mission.

· Measurables are in place at every level of the organization

· Accountability and follow up are key to sustaining plans of action.

· Transformation is introspective and seasonal – Time and season

Who can influence the future of your business?

Who can influence the future of your business?

· The following groups can all influence the future of a Business:

1. Customers

2. Employees

3. Shareholders

4. Community

· Every Business needs to be able to identify who the key group of Stakeholders are that can influence the Business and then define key objectives for the Business, so as to service those Stakeholders.

Are you listening?

Are you listening?

· Is your Organisation seen as one which enthusiastically embraces continuous improvement so as to be at the cutting edge of Customer / Client Service?

· Does your organistation create wealth for its owners?

· Are your Employees proud to work for the Business?

· Are they motivated?

· Do they use their initiative?

· Are they encouraged to be innovative?

· Is the Business respected in the wider Community?

· Is it seen as a leader?

· What are you not hearing or seeing that should be done differently?

What creates a successful business?

What creates a successful business?

· Customers / Clients who are delighted with the products or service provided by the business.

· The Business must be different or sell essential services or products.

· It must have developed a sustainable competitive advantage.

· It should be a leader, not a “me too”.

· Customers can differentiate services that are being offered by the Business compared with its Competitors?

· There are many factors that make a business successful – but find the one core that all revolves around – the vision!

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and goals

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and goals

· The purpose of Key Performance Indicators is to measure value.

· Key Performance Indicators can be used to manage performance improvement.

· What are the Strategic Goals of Your Organisation? From these you should be able to derive a limited set of Critical Success Factors that need to be achieved to add value to the Business.

· Businesses state their Goals and Strategies in a Mission Statement and Vision Statement and values statement that is contained within their Business Plan.

Why does a company exist?

Why does a company exist?

Organisations exist to deliver value to their stakeholders, normally:

· Shareholders

· Employees

· Customers

· Community

Does the company exist to make profit? Or is there a vision that is more than self-serving? Is there a vision that permeates the organization and gives the organization a spirit of its own. Profit follows vision. Vision does not follow profit.