If you require a tune-up, what part of the cycle did you miss?

In my previous blog post and Ask Rob, I discussed the importance of implementing a “halfway tune-up” at your organization if it is necessary to do so. Tune-ups are useful to get your team back on track, if required, to achieve the goals you set way back in January. However, successful growth companies who closely follow Verne Harnish’s “Think – Plan – Act – Learn” to achieve their goals should not need to go through a tune-up.

Here are the four stages you should follow throughout the year to ensure your team is on track to achieve their goals.

                    • The “Think” stage involves a handful of senior leaders who discuss strategic ideas and do not dwell on or get                        into operational or execution issues. The think stage focuses on longer-term company strategy and vision.

                    • Next is the “Plan” stage, which includes a broader group of senior and middle leaders whose purpose is to                            plan the strategy laid out by senior leaders. There is no shortcut to proper planning. Proper planning takes                       time and discipline. Unfortunately, a lot of companies don’t take the time and don’t have the necessary                      discipline. This is usually why companies don’t achieve their goals.  

                    • The next stage in the cycle is to “Act,” where middle managers work with front line team members to                        execute the upcoming quarter’s 13-week race plan and grade themselves on a weekly basis. If proper                        planning was done, the hole in the system is usually found in the Act stage where companies allow their                        goals to slide on a weekly basis and don’t confront the brutal facts of their reality.

                    • Finally, the last step before the cycle completes itself and begins again is the “Learn” stage. The most                       successful growth companies are learning companies and take the time to reflect on their results and lessons                       learned.

Want to learn more about the Think – Plan – Act – Learn cycle? Join me for my Gazelles International Scaling Up Business Growth Workshop on November 9, 2017, in Austin, Texas.