{"id":350,"date":"2018-04-26T10:00:10","date_gmt":"2018-04-26T10:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/?p=8866"},"modified":"2022-09-13T13:47:31","modified_gmt":"2022-09-13T13:47:31","slug":"the-launching-stages-of-victory-operations-rapid-action-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/larrybroughton.com\/the-launching-stages-of-victory-operations-rapid-action-you\/","title":{"rendered":"The launching stages of VICTORY: Operations, Rapid Action, You!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Launching-450x250.jpg\" class=\"webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: block; margin: auto; margin-bottom: 5px;max-width: 100%;\" link_thumbnail=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Launching-450x250.jpg 450w, https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Launching-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Launching-100x56.jpg 100w, https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Launching-50x28.jpg 50w, https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Launching.jpg 675w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Operations are the support systems that enable your success. They are a necessary part of playing the game in today\u2019s business world. Many entrepreneurs have no systems in place, or their systems are in their heads where no one else can see them.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8845\" src=\"https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Launching.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"675\" height=\"375\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re like most entrepreneurs, you probably find working on the functional systems of your business about as exciting as watching paint dry. You\u2019d probably prefer to concentrate on the fun stuff, like interacting with customers or developing your strategic vision.<\/p>\n<p><span id=\"more-8866\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Just like acquiring intel, developing systems (especially in the early stages of your business) can feel like endless drudgery. However, also like gathering intel, effort invested in developing well refined systems is vital to creating sustainable success.<\/p>\n<p>Operations are (for our purposes) the ongoing and repeatable activities that keep your business running smoothly. These activities include financial systems, lead generation and follow-through, inventory management, customer service, routine strategic planning, and anything else your business repeats with any degree of regularity throughout the day, week, month, quarter, or year. In other words, \u201coperations\u201d encompasses just about everything you do to\u00a0keep your business going!<\/p>\n<h2>Why Are Systems So Important?<\/h2>\n<p>Think of it this way: a football player very rarely reaches the end zone by himself; he has almost no chance if he tries to go it alone. In addition to the support of the other players around him, he has another team of supporting personnel: coaches, trainers, nutritionists, and analysts who serve as his intelligence-gatherers and go-to guys. Without all these systems functioning effectively in the background, even the all-star quarterback wouldn\u2019t have much hope for survival on the field, let alone scoring success.<\/p>\n<p>You might be thinking \u201cis this really so important\u2026? I\u2019m growing sales and bringing in money &#8230; won\u2019t the back-office stuff just take care of itself?\u201d Dream on! Unfortunately, I know from painful personal experience that trying to operate any company without proper systems\u2014 whether it\u2019s a solo professional practice or a complex multi-site, multi-state organization\u2014is akin to wandering through a minefield with a blindfold on. Sometimes you get lucky, but sooner or later, you\u2019re going to step on something mighty unpleasant\u2014and the results can be disastrous. The good news is that the benefits of taking the time and energy to create and implement (and occasionally tweak) systems are legion. Systematized operations:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Yield greater profits;<\/li>\n<li>Enable better customer service;<\/li>\n<li>Support more targeted marketing efforts;<\/li>\n<li>Provide stronger team management; and<\/li>\n<li>Ultimately, provide a significantly higher valuation should your exit strategy include a buyout or IPO.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Sounds pretty good, right?<\/p>\n<p>It is pretty good, but there\u2019s still that pesky short-term challenge of investing the time and effort to build these systems on the front-end. I won\u2019t lie to you: it\u2019s not easy for most entrepreneurs to get past their initial inertia and put these critical systems into place. But the good news is that others have already done much of the work for you (more on that later) and the advantages of having these systems in place far outweigh the temporary inconvenience of creating them.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, effective systems provide you with the freedom to step away for a week or even a month with full confidence your business will continue running smoothly and producing revenue while you\u2019re gone. The earlier you start systemizing, the easier it is to keep everything under control, so don\u2019t put it off!<\/p>\n<p>So where do you begin? Each business is unique, so I can\u2019t give you absolute specifics on every system your company needs. However, there are three critical areas in which you must commit to developing good operations:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Cash flow<\/li>\n<li>Professional operations<\/li>\n<li>Personnel<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Note that about 90 to 95 percent of the systems you need to start or grow your business is already available \u201coff the shelf\u201d and require little to no customization. You, and\/or your team, simply need to put a little time into tweaking the last few pieces \u2013 those specific to your business.<\/p>\n<h2>Rapid Action<\/h2>\n<p>You\u2019ve been lied to from a very young age. You\u2019ve probably heard the expression \u201cknowledge is power.\u201d It\u2019s an old saying, and many people still believe it. There\u2019s just one small problem: it\u2019s a lie. Don\u2019t believe it for a second!<\/p>\n<p>The truth is that inspired and decisive action is power. If you could hook your brain up to the Library of Congress (one of the largest repositories of data in the world) and download every bit of information residing there, and you did nothing with all that knowledge, all you would have is useless trivia. But, if you took action with that newfound knowledge, you\u2019d be an absolute powerhouse!<\/p>\n<p>I cannot overstress the importance of taking rapid action. Not just action\u2014 rapid action. That\u2019s why one of my favorite quotes from General George Patton is<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>A good plan violently executed today is better than a perfect plan next week.\u00a0~ Gen. George F. Patton, Jr<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>What he talks about is a good plan violently executed today is better than a perfect plan next week. How often have we gotten stuck in life because we&#8217;re trying to strive for perfection? Or our business plan isn&#8217;t just so, or our marketing plan isn&#8217;t just right, or that perfect person hasn&#8217;t walked into our life and become our new life partner.<\/p>\n<p>Action delivers results. Action creates opportunities. Action dampens potential blowback from the occasional (and inevitable) error. Taking rapid, decisive action is the single greatest differentiator between barely surviving and truly thriving.<\/p>\n<p>History is replete with the exploits of legendary leaders who took decisive action, including Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Horatio Nelson, Robert E. Lee, Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, George S. Patton, Jr., Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Elon Musk, Mark Cuban, and Barbara Corcoran. Through their exploits\u2014their actions\u2014they overcame the challenges they faced as well as their opponents and rivals.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, leaders whose vacillation, dithering, and endless indecision reduced them to historical footnotes. Feckless unfortunates such as Darius III of Persia, Guy d\u2019 Lusignan, Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna, George B. McClellan, Ambrose Burnside, Douglas Haig, and Maurice Gamelin provide stark reminders of failure and ineptitude.<\/p>\n<p>The ability to take rapid, decisive action is more important than intelligence, education, and even raw talent. In many ways, it is the single best predictor of the level of success you will achieve, both in business and in life.<\/p>\n<p>You need to take action in your business and life because, quite frankly, nobody owes you anything. This includes the government, your employer, your clients\/customers, and your spouse or significant other. No one is going to solve your problems for you; sitting around waiting for your white knight to turn up is futile. The only way to solve a challenge, create or take advantage of an opportunity, and ultimately reach your goals is to get yourself in gear and take action.<\/p>\n<p>Sound a bit harsh? Good\u2026it\u2019s meant to!<\/p>\n<p>Please don\u2019t confuse my \u201cnobody owes you anything\u201d comment above with operating the Lone Wolf way. It\u2019s easy to conflate the two, but the most common action step I recommend when mentoring a \u201cstuck\u201d entrepreneur is to engage outside help to shift perspective and reframe the challenge.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTaking action\u201d means more than just initiating projects and activities. Completing actions, closing the loop, and crossing them off your to-do list are all crucial. This is a major challenge for many entrepreneurs who are great idea generators, but who aren\u2019t as strong when it comes to idea completion. Entrepreneurs, in general, suffer from the \u201cbright shiny object\u201d syndrome \u2026 it\u2019s part of our DNA (and as a charter member of the Bright Shiny Object Club, I\u2019m intimately familiar with this syndrome).<\/p>\n<p>Of course, you won\u2019t be taking action blindly if you\u2019ve given some thought to the principles I\u2019ve covered in this book. I trust you\u2019ve already applied some brainpower to:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/are-vision-and-intel-really-important-in-business\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u2022 Developing the vision for your organization<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/are-vision-and-intel-really-important-in-business\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u2022 Researching and analyzing appropriate intel<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/entrepreneurship-101-the-huge-danger-in-being-a-lone-wolf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u2022 Connecting with coaches\/mentors<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/entrepreneurship-101-the-huge-danger-in-being-a-lone-wolf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u2022 Building your custom-designed support team<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/the-launching-stages-of-victory-operations-rapid-action-you\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u2022 Getting the right systems in place to support your growth<\/a><\/p>\n<p>At some point though, you must stop analyzing, and start doing!<\/p>\n<p>So what should you do? My advice is to simply get moving! Connect with your vision, goals, and intel to determine your starting point and initial direction and get on it. Focus your marketing on those you believe are most interested in your product or service (just remember, target what they want, not what you think they need). Look for low-hanging fruit and take on<br \/>\ntargets of opportunity as you go.<\/p>\n<p>Remember, fortune favors those who take action. You will find opportunity by moving out and staying true to your vision and values, even if it\u2019s not the kind you originally expected.<\/p>\n<h2>You!<\/h2>\n<p>The very qualities that make entrepreneurs great leaders\u2014hard-working, driven, curious, creative\u2014can consume our time and energy, leaving little left over at the end of the day for our loved ones and our own well being. And, I\u2019ve seen over and over how the desire to succeed can result in little ethical wobbles that, left unchecked, eventually have the power to destroy businesses and relationships, and land once well-meaning entrepreneurs in trouble with the law.<\/p>\n<p>The first six strategies you learned (Vision, Intel, Coaching, Team Building, Operations, and Rapid Action) are essential elements of building long-term success in business. But unless you also apply the ideas outlined in this chapter, the other strategies won\u2019t matter. When you strip everything else away, your success\u2014in your business and your life\u2014depends on you. You can think of the other strategies as spokes in a wheel. You are the hub of that wheel: no matter how strong the spokes are, any wheel will eventually break down if the hub isn\u2019t sound.<\/p>\n<p>To achieve long-term success, you must understand the three priorities that virtually all high achievers have developed into routine habits. Connect with these priorities; make them second nature so they\u2019re always operating in the background of everything you do.<\/p>\n<p>I believe keeping these priorities in mind can literally make you unstoppable \u2026 if you choose to embrace them:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Self-discipline:<\/strong> At its core, self-discipline means making decisions based on what\u2019s right, not what feels good at the moment. The right decisions benefit your clients\/customers and your team while honoring your vision and values\u2014 instead of sacrificing quality for expediency and convenience. Self-disciplined leaders make conscious, deliberate decisions and avoid cutting corners or compromising principles to squeeze a few extra dollars from a transaction.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tenacity:<\/strong> Tenacity simply means not giving up, no matter the circumstance. Tenacity is refusing to allow opposition, uncertainty, and the occasional failure to keep you from succeeding. Any time you move forward and\/or challenge the status quo, you\u2019re going to face adversity. The question is \u2026 what are you going to do about it?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Commitment to self-development:<\/strong> The skills and knowledge required to successfully navigate business startups are not the same skills needed to take that same business to the next level. If you\u2019re not continuously growing as a leader, you\u2019ll eventually stifle your own company\u2019s success. Don\u2019t be the anchor that weighs your company down: set the example through continuous development and growth.<\/p>\n<p>One final priority I strongly suggest establishing in your business from Day One is uncompromising ethics. I encourage you to set and maintain the highest possible ethical standards for both yourself and your company.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Launching-450x250.jpg\" class=\"webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" link_thumbnail=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Launching-450x250.jpg 450w, https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Launching-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Launching-100x56.jpg 100w, https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Launching-50x28.jpg 50w, https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Launching.jpg 675w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\"><\/p>\n<p>Operations are the support systems that enable your success. They are a necessary part of playing the game in today\u2019s business world. Many entrepreneurs have no systems in place, or their systems are in their heads where no one else can see them. If you\u2019re like most entrepreneurs, you probably find working on the functional [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/the-launching-stages-of-victory-operations-rapid-action-you\/\">The launching stages of VICTORY: Operations, Rapid Action, You!<\/a> first appeared on <a href=\"https:\/\/yoogozi.com\/\">Larry Broughton | Yoogozi | Motivation | Inspiration | Leadership<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,13,14,10,12],"tags":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Daphne Bercilla","author_link":"https:\/\/larrybroughton.com\/author\/daphne-bercilla\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Operations are the support systems that enable your success. They are a necessary part of playing the game in today\u2019s business world. Many entrepreneurs have no systems in place, or their systems are in their heads where no one else can see them. If you\u2019re like most entrepreneurs, you probably find working on the functional&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/larrybroughton.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/350"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/larrybroughton.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/larrybroughton.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/larrybroughton.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/larrybroughton.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=350"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/larrybroughton.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/350\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":377,"href":"https:\/\/larrybroughton.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/350\/revisions\/377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/larrybroughton.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/larrybroughton.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/larrybroughton.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}