The company away day workshop, done well, is one of the biggest value creators you can invest your executive team’s time in. How well are you leading and communicating your plan, what are your great wins, how well are your values providing a compass for guiding decision making, is there a positive culture and determination around your plans and budgets? These meetings are not talkfests – they’re discussions to get plan refinement, reinvention and most importantly - engagement.
“What do you do?” is a simple question many firms and people stumble to nail an answer to. I’ve worked with teams who when pushed to give an “elevator pitch” about what their companies are, stammer through the vision or values and can’t make a punchy impression in a world where 140 characters is maybe all you get. A well-arranged get together should ensure everyone comes away knowing what the pitch is.
Famous pitches like OJ Simpson’s lawyer’s summary of the defence “if the glove does not fit you must acquit”, or Steve Jobs’ “1000 songs in your pocket” are gold. I once ran a steel making business in which we all agreed a “safe business is a great one”, and our license to operate was based on Zero Harm. It became the mantra for lifting performance and profitability across the whole mill.
PlaceMakers is a billion-dollar distributor of building products of which I was CEO. Our team was united by the tag line of “Know How Can Do” with the enduring customer vision that “together we are building NZ”. Our builder customers and staff felt a sense of partnership that we were in it together.
I recently facilitated a workshop for a small privately-owned company at which the team told the founder and CEO that his vision and goals were too ambitious and unrealistic and they were missing out on hitting the good stuff in the near field of vision. They also told him what they felt his strengths were and how to best structure the business.
These revelations can be confronting and a big shock, but if acted on positively, massive value can be unlocked through focusing on the important activities.
In this case the feedback galvanised the team and gave them the confidence to move forward faster than before with more realistic goals established. The breakthrough soon came and record sales months followed.
Facing your realities together can provide a clearer path and more confidence in the strategic plan. Sales teams can often be left to their own devices, and their work taken for granted. However, if teams aren’t on the same page, careful financial planning and budgets can get lost in translation and massive value lost due to errant pricing decisions or poor conversion of marketing investments.
The act of getting together and having an honest and confronting discussion about the trajectory of your business is so rewarding when done well. The prize is getting more momentum and bigger bottom lines.
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