Re-engineering Your Business

This month's question comes via the Internet. After an exchange of emails, the inquirer simply stated, "Just give me the process and let me have at it. I don't need a coach". Ah, spoken like a true entrepreneur!

So here you go. And if you need help, use a Coach. Coaching is the act of guiding you through a process that supports your getting what you want. Coaches inspire, hold accountable, question, investigate, support, mentor and all the other adjectives used to describe helping you to move closer to your Spiritual Objective. Some call it tough love, holding accountable, or self-imposed discipline. Regardless, coaches should be there, in your corner, helping you move closer to your dreams.

Here are the first steps in transforming you and your business. When you complete this fundamental work, the rest is implementation, reflection, integrity to your mission, ethical behavior and a desire for change.

Your Spiritual Objective

Find out what you truly want, then build your business to support it. We call what you want your Spiritual Objective. It's not money, cars, houses or clothes; it's what makes the heart sing! It's why you do what you do. It's your essence. It may be elusive, yet it can be found. Knowing your Spiritual Objective, start the work of building or rebuilding the business; a business designed to give you what you want.

Your Strategic Vision

Begin the process of re-inventing the business by creating a Strategic Vision defining your objective. Write it with passion. Have it describe the characteristics of the business and your business' unique presence. Define your intended sales, profit margin, locations and number of employees. Clarify your geographic scope, specific markets and the basis of competition. Articulate the promise to your customers, what you expect of your employees and how your employees will be rewarded. When you write your Vision, remember, this is from today's perspective of what it will look like in 3, 5 or ? years.

Your Systems Strategy

With the Strategic Vision in hand, create the architectural plan of the processes your business will need to fulfill the Vision. Create the list much like an organizational chart. At the top of your System plan is your business. Knowing every business has within it seven centers of attention required to make it whole, create a list for; Leadership, Finance, Management, Marketing, Advertising, Sales and Client Fulfillment. Within each of these areas, list the sub-systems required to fully deliver on the promise of your Strategic Vision. Create it by identifying the systems your business needs today and those it will require tomorrow.

Your Organizational Strategy

With your system design process complete, create the organizational structure of the future necessary to support a fully implemented Strategic Vision. Build your organizational structure around the business need, not existing staff. You want to be system dependent, not people dependent. Then create an interim organizational structure. Design it to move you along the path of your Strategic Vision. With your next vacancy, only hire people with the right spirit and substance to fulfill on your promise; the promise articulated in the structure of your systems based on your Strategic Vision. Before you hire someone, clearly identify the need, employee accountability and how the position contributes to your Strategic Vision. If you can't do that, don't hire.

Complete these activities and you will be ready to begin "the work of the work".