At times, entrepreneurs have a gut feeling something isn’t quite right as their business grows. While nothing is wrong, that sneaking suspicion is often the nature of more.
More products. More people. More systems.
And — more complexity.
As complexity increases, so should these five ideas as you move from entrepreneur to CEO.
#1 - Focus
Everything is not as important and equal in weight. We tell ourselves it is, but let’s face it: It just isn’t. This is your chance to decide what is the most important metric, and then focus on that to gain maximum momentum.
Question to Ask:
What is my one key metric?
Action to Take
Dominate (not dabble in) that metric.
#2 - Communication
Communicate. And then communicate again. If you think you are over-communicating, you are probably right on the money. And don’t just communicate for the sake of communicating, make sure what you are saying is crystal clear and dripping with transparency.
Question to Ask:
Am I living this out? “Collaboration is a key part of success of any organization, executed through a clearly defined vision and mission and based on transparency and constant communication.” - Dinesh Paliwal
Action to Take:
Introduce a 15-minute daily standup meeting.
Here are some standup meeting best practices from Highfive and Sprintly.
#3 - Collaboration
While the idea “everybody is smarter than somebody” was popularized by Wikipedia, it can be difficult to silence the silo-driven, self-protection temptation departments face. Instead, choose vulnerability and seek clarity in areas you need it.
Question to Ask:
Who can point out my business’, team’s or department’s blind spots?
Action to Take:
Say, “I need help.”
#4 - Decisiveness
While being right is great, being done is greater. Always. Don't sacrifice completion for the sake of perfection. 70% right, 100% finished beats 100% right, 70% late (tweet this). All day, every day. You get to decide on 2 things: Your time and budget. You win the day when you make decisions that move the ball forward.
Your New Motto:
Win the Day / #WTD
If you win the day, you win the week. If you win the week, you win the month. If you win the month, you win the quarter. If you win the quarter, you win the year. Let’s win the year by winning today.
Question to Ask:
How can I win the day today?
Action to Take:
Just ship it.
#5 - Resolve
Look, we are all doing hard things. If business was easy, everyone would be doing it. But that’s where you get to choose to be different and choose resolve. Simply put, resolve is “Enthusiastic pursuit toward the vision, no matter what obstacle stands in the way.” (tweet this?) And often that obstacle is an internal limiting voice you must push past.
Question to Ask:
What is my internal voice saying today?
Action to Take:
Shift your internal voice from “I should” to “I must.”
Bonus - Sleep
The 8th Wonder of the World "basically" is a full-night’s sleep. (And all new parents say Amen.) At the end of the day (pun intended), 40 hours of a properly planned and executed schedule should be enough. It should be and it must be. Let’s say it together, again: “40 hours of a properly planned and executed schedule must be enough.”
Question to Ask:
Am I planning and executing my week so 40 hours is enough?
Action to Take:
Set (an earlier) bedtime and stick to it.
Need better sleep? Here's a great article we found on Inc.
About the Author:
Casey Graham is the Co-Founder and CEO of Gravy, the leading failed payment recovery and customer retention solution for companies with recurring revenue.
Prior to launching Gravy, he’s known for founding The Rocket Company an organization that helped church leaders scale their financial leadership and fundraising. The company grew quickly from 2008 - 2015 and was on the Inc 5000 list three years in a row. In late 2015, a capital venture group approached Casey to acquire The Rocket Company, and in February 2016 the company sold.
About Gravy:
Gravy's full-time, virtual retention specialists help companies with recurring subscriptions and memberships recover failed payments and retain customers.
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