It’s not enough just to know where you’re going (though that’s critical).  You must also know how you plan to get there.

As you may already know, I’m a pilot. I use flying as an analogy quite often for business and leadership. In fact, I’m writing a series of books on leadership using flying as the basis for the discussion. My first book FLIGHT PLANNING: A Pilot’s Guide to Business Success (currently available on Amazon) uses the analogy of a pilot planning a cross-country flight to the planning entrepreneurs should do for their business.

Every pilot plans their flights, even if they are flying to a known airport that they’ve flown to a hundred times. If they are heading to a new destination, the planning is even more detailed.

As a pilot, I must first understand everything about my home airport or my current location: altitude, weather, wind speed and direction, flight patterns, etc. Then I need to know everything about my aircraft: weight, center of gravity, and flight readiness. I check all the external surfaces to make sure everything is in working order. I check the fuel and oil, the instruments, battery power, and verify that the flight controls are free. All of this BEFORE I start looking at the destination or the directional heading I’ll take to get there.

Every business owner should do the same when entering or starting a business and refer to that plan regularly – every 90 days at minimum.

Yet, that’s the second big mistake I see business owners making all the time: no business plan; no tactical strategy! 

As an entrepreneur, you have all the vision in the world.  You have huge dreams and aspirations, revolutionary ideas that can change the world (or at least make a tremendous impact on your industry).  And yet, you lack the follow-through to make it happen.  So, you end up lackluster results, half-implemented ideas, and a lot of discouragement.

And how do you expect your employees to adopt and follow your vision or implement your revolutionary ideas if you can’t share them in a clear, concise, and compelling way?

Fortunately, I have a solution: It’s a simple, the One-Page Strategic Plan (1PSP).

Adapted from the wonderful book, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish who encourages businesses to have

The right people doing the right things right!

The key to aligning all the critical components of your vision, mission, and goals lies in this one groundbreaking tool. There are four main decisions, or key questions, your 1PSP helps you address when it comes to your business:

1. What Are Our Core Values and Purpose?
2. What Are Our Dreams?
3. What Makes Us Different?
4. What Do We Need to Be Focusing on RIGHT NOW?

Until you have ready, solid, in-depth answers to each of the above questions, you will never be able to put together a long-term strategy that will lead you to your objectives.

It’s hard to explain how the 1PSP works until you see it with your own eyes, so I’d like to offer you a FREE 1PSP template.  Simply email me at coach@ib4e.com, subject line FREE 1PSP Template.

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Don’t struggle in your business just trying to keep your head above water. Learn the “Silver Bullet Strategies” that can bring you quality leads and customers, a more productive staff, give you back your time, and increase your current cash flow. Click HERE to schedule a 60-minute Complementary Coaching Session. This is a no-cost, no-obligation strategy session focused 100% on your business! Schedule today!