YOUR FOCUS IS THE COMPANY FOCUS

Do you realize when you have lost your focus about the primary essentials of running a money making company?

1. Do you see decisions made by your direct reports that you feel are not prudent?

2. Do you know exactly where your company needs to put its attention?

3. Can you give a fifteen second statement about the focus of your company to a new Board Member?

4. Do you teach the business fundamentals to your management group on an annual basis and apply them to your present business environment?

5. Do you have excitement about applying business savvy to your company no matter what the circumstances?

6. Do you assume everyone knows what you do?  Or do you assume most people can't understand the complexity of your company?

7. Is the 'what' of your company balanced with the 'how'?

You may have a blindspot about the most basic elements of money making and have gotten lost in the forest of daily distractions. Maintaining the 'right' focus for your company is at the top of the CEO list of to do's.

Try asking random people in your management group:
—What were our sales last year?
—Are sales growing or declining? 
—Profit margin? In comparison with other companies in your industry? 
—Here's a good one. Ask about inventory velocity or asset velocity?
—ROA?
—Cash? Increase or decrease? Why? 
—How do we stand in relationship to the competition?

The C-Suite members should know this without a moment's hesitation. But how literate is your company as a whole? These basics are what makes a strategy make sense rather than being a slogan or list of rules. 

Thanks to Ram Charon (What the CEO Wants You to Know) and Daniel Goleman (Focus) for their writing on this topic.