New Perspectives

Stories in this section:
Communicating Your Opportunity: Clarity, Focus, and Execution
Academic Forum: Leading and Manging in the Millennial Generation
Top Desk: The Elements of Greatness
What's In It For Me?

Communicating Your Opportunity:
Clarity, Focus, and Execution
by Tony Jeary

To kick off the New Year, we went to Tony Jeary-writer, speaker and coach to many top CEOs-with a question: How can direct selling executives achieve success in 2007? Tony responded with the following article that gets right to the point-it's all about communication!

People usually come to this industry because they have a dream, or are trying to find an opportunity that can become their dream. The dream has many pieces. One piece may be a desire for financial success. Another piece might be independence and the hope of being able to build a successful business. Another piece might involve helping others in a wide variety of ways. There is no one piece that is more important than another. The point is that when a person with a dream is making that initial decision about becoming a part of your team, the decision is made against the backdrop of perceived opportunity. I believe the key to success for any direct selling firm hinges on how well they communicate their ability to help new prospects recognize the opportunity they offer. There must be a communication strategy to make that work. The question is: What are the elements your communication strategy must embrace? I think it boils down to three distinct points: Clarity, Focus and Execution.

The Issues

In today's global business climate, growth and success are determined by two needs. The first is the need for speed. The second is the need for results. Speed is the strategic engine needed to compete and win in a rapidly changing marketplace. Results determine our ability to execute and sustain a vision in the marketplace. There are three enemies of speed and results:

• The first enemy is the absence of clarity.
• The second enemy is the lack of focus.
• The third enemy is poor execution.

The absence of clarity drains energy. Lack of focus produces indecisiveness and excessive preparation. Poor execution degrades effectiveness, limits results and restricts growth. So, for opportunity to be maximized, the issues of clarity, focus and execution become the most significant.

Clarity

When clarity is lost, or never achieved, it is almost impossible to generate the kind of focus necessary to establish a dynamic effort capable of acting on a daily basis. Clarity is achieved when we know where we are in relationship to where we want to go. The gap between the two is where focus must be applied. The principle of clarity requires a specific clearness of mind that is unmistakable and evident to all. Clarity is achieved when ideas and concepts are clearly explained and presented. The requirement for clarity is specific with respect to three issues:

1. Purpose: Relates to the "why" of things.
2. Value: Relates to the real benefits that can be acquired.
3. Objectives: Unless objectives are stated clearly and understood by all, the likelihood of achieving them is slim.

Focus

There is a gap that must be crossed between current conditions and the ultimate vision. Focus is achieved when the critical success factors needed to propel us across the gap are identified and understood.

If we do not have focus-if we do not grasp the main things required-then decision-making becomes difficult, awkward and mushy. To cover up this cancer, indecisiveness is born, and when that happens focus becomes even more difficult to achieve. Sometimes, only legitimate threats to survival can trigger the action needed to fix things.

The primary characteristic of an indecisive person is excessive preparation. Excessive preparation involves endless planning that serves no purpose except to provide an illusion of progress. An organization composed of people who are constantly "getting ready" to act is an organization that has been shackled by itself. It is not focused and is unable to act because of its indecisiveness.

Focus is only possible when the things that are to be focused upon have been presented and sold to those who must focus on them. At the heart of focus are core issues of direction and the marshalling of resources in a laser-focused way to ensure that effort is expended on the things that really matter. In my facilitation work with some of the world's top CEOs, my strategy is to help them create the proper focus on three things:

1. Mandating the correct action items
2. Creating the appropriate amount of detail to support action mandates
3. Creating benchmarks that can measure results

Execution

Execution powerfully transitions clarity and focus into action so the expected results become reality. There are four elements I concentrate on with my customers regarding execution:

1. Communication Mastery: 85 percent of success depends on how well we communicate with others. Communication is a skill that can be taught and learned. As improvement increases, results are maximized.
2. Performance Benchmarks: Nothing is new under the sun, and a lot can be learned from the success of others. Communicating and establishing proven benchmarks for success is an absolute necessity.
3. Measurement of Impact: Results can be measured, and if we hope to achieve our dreams we must be willing to measure the fruits of our efforts. People need measurement to evaluate how well they are doing.
4. Sustained Results: Dreams are fulfilled over a long period of time, and that means we must be able to sustain results. Careers are not built on one-shot wins. Success is attained by a methodology that produces and sustains wins over a long period.

Many people flounder as they try to fulfill their vision and their dreams because they lack a methodology to execute their objectives and strategies. Marginal results degrade overall effectiveness across extended periods, which retards or stops growth. When growth is in jeopardy, we stand on shaky ground.

Results Matter

Over the years I have had the honor and pleasure of coaching some of the world's finest CEOs. The businesses they lead sport logos familiar to most of America and the world. The common thread between them is the need to recognize and seize opportunities that will help them execute their vision in the marketplace. People fail to fulfill their vision and their dreams because they lack a methodology capable of sustaining their effort. This kind of methodology and support is what anyone considering a direct selling opportunity is seeking.

Results are about winning in the marketplace. Results are about scoring more than the competition and having an organization that can push the ball across the goal line when the going gets tough. Lots of sports teams do very well in the middle of the field. As they approach the goal, things get tighter and tougher. Defenses tighten up and scoring becomes difficult. It's in these scoring situations that execution becomes critical. Mistakes, penalties and communication errors will prohibit a team from scoring and winning. Scoring execution must be flawless and depends on how well everybody understands their role. The disciplined team scores and puts themselves in position to win. The undisciplined team gives up points and possibly the game. The game in the scoring zone is fast and pressure-packed. Business is no different! For direct selling firms it comes down to how well they help their teams get Clarity, Focus and Execution about their opportunity.

Tony Jeary is the coach of America's top CEOs. He is the author of more than 30 books dealing with communication and strategy. E-mail your questions or comments to info@tonyjeary.com.