Little Things

If you are a business owner or leader, your focus should be all about executing your dynamic growth strategy, right? And you may feel you don't have time to worry about "little things." Well, consider this old, yet timeless parable:

 

For want of a nail, the shoe was lost,
For want of a shoe, the horse was lost,
For want of a horse, the rider was lost,
For want of a rider, the message was lost,
For want of a message, the battle was lost,
For want of a battle, the war was lost,
For want of a war, the kingdom was lost,

All for the want of a horseshoe nail. 

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With the frenetic pace of business these days, it may seem that working "on the business" is a little thing compared to working "in the business." However, you will find that the best leaders carve out a small fraction of their time to optimize their company in key areas. As you do the same, you will be amazed at the difference it makes.

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Sharpen the Axe

Here's a favorite saying of mine from Abraham Lincoln:

 

Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.

 

Axe sharpening can mistakenly be viewed as a little thing when compared to daily operations. But over time, a dull axe will literally turn molehills into mountains that impede your firm's growth and profitability. All high-performing firms realize this and make sure they keep their axes sharp. 

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What does this have to do with Victory Intelligence (VQ)? 

Victory Intelligence (VQ) refers to a firm's ability to win in the marketplace. It is a phenomenon I have seen over and over in my 30+ years of working with numerous businesses and their leaders. Stated simply, VQ is a measure of a company's capacity to grow. In fact, VQ is THE determining factor in how much success a business can achieve. 

 

A brief explanation of VQ 

Humans have varying levels of IQ and EQ.

Everyone is familiar with IQ, (intelligence quotient) as a measure of rational intelligence. People with high IQ tend to excel in technical work. However, high IQ alone does not ensure that a bright worker will successfully transition into becoming an effective leader. EQ (emotional intelligence) has recently emerged as a critical aspect of leadership. EQ is a measure of self-awareness and knowledge of how one's behavior affects those around him or her. Workers with high EQ are much more likely to be promoted than their highly intelligent peers who have lower EQ.

 

Similarly, businesses have differing levels of FQ and VQ.

In a similar fashion, young firms with a strong product/service, great people, and strong work ethic are going to grow rapidly. They have what could be called a high FQ (fundamentals intelligence.) High FQ can take a firm to around the $5-$20 million range in sales, but only firms with a strong VQ (victory intelligence) will avoid hitting a wall that prevents them from ever getting past that and into the $100 million plus range where they know they belong. 

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 Is your firm facing a VQ challenge?

If any of the following are occurring in your firm, you may have a VQ deficiency:

• Flat or declining growth curve,

• Less profitability than a firm your size should have,

• You have leaders or salespeople who just can't seem to "get it done" at this level,

• The office is more political than it used to be; less fun; less like a family,

• Finger pointing, low trust, or poor teamwork,

• Inefficiency that leads to heavy overtime work, employee frustration and burnout,

• Disagreement about the strategy and goals of the company,

• Turnover among employees, leaders and/or customers,

• Frequent complaints about poor communication.

 

Good News!

The good news is that VQ can be measured! You know the old saying, "If it can be measured, it can be managed." And that is true. So if we work together, you can take positive steps forward to measure your VQ and do much more than manage it: you can use VQ to unleash the hidden potential of your employees so dramatically that you will hardly believe you are getting such stellar results from the same people.  

 

The key is to put the proper focus on these 5 Intelligences that are the building blocks of VQ:

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Combining my resources with yours, we'll diagnose which of these areas are deficient and take steps to sharpen your axe and add a few nails here and there. This will enable your people to own solving these challenges themselves. As their individual VQ grows, overall company VQ will grow, and that will trigger a virtuous growth cycle that will endure. Even while growing and expanding, the company will still feel, act and perform like a better version of its old self, with high levels of engagement and profitability.

 

Is lack of VQ preventing your firm from reaching the level you know it should be hitting? Is your axe sharp? Are you missing a nail or two? 

The best way to find out if you have a VQ challenge is to have a call or brief meeting with me. If you are the owner or leader, I'll briefly explain how we can work together to identify any gaps in VQ and initiate an employee-friendly plan to elevate it. 

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I won't pretend to know very much about your business; but if I can raise the VQ in your firm, your team will amaze you with their ability to find answers for the frustrating challenges you are facing. I hope we can talk soon.

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Ready for that free call?

Click the button to schedule a time for a no-obligation consultation.

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HOW INCREASED VQ

HAS DELIVERED

 MEASURABLE, SUSTAINABLE

RESULTS

Commercial Real Estate Appraisal

PGP Valuation recognized its high turnover was due to low VQ. By focusing on their VQ challenges, they raised revenues by 300% while reducing appraisal preparation time by 120%. 

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Commercial Real Estate Sales

A sales division within Colliers International recognized and addressed a VQ vacuum in its back-end sales support team. As a result, revenues increased by $7,000,000 and they attained overhead savings of $500,000 per year.

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Medical Device Firm

DePuy Spine, a division of Johnson & Johnson, solved its VQ issues, leading to Western US distributorships achieving a 250% increase in revenue.

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Utility District Leadership

Faced with the looming retirement of 60% of its Executive Leadership within 2 years, San Juan Water District elevated the respective VQ of its Senior Managers so they were prepared to step into Executive roles when those vacancies arose.