Post #9 in a multi-part series from the excellent book Traction by Gino Wickman

Pulling it all together:  The Grand Journey

Mastery is making sure that you and your leadership team understand all tools and processes, and have implemented them properly.

Results won't show on your P&L immediately.  But it will.   Everything can look like a failure in the middle.

Stay committed to the 90 day world!!!  Even when things are going well.   If too busy, that is all the more reason.

Anything important that can get done this quarter is a rock

If need to get done sooner than 90 days it goes on your weekly level 10 meeting issues list

Anything important that will require longer than 90 days but less than 1 year is a goal.  Decide which rocks are necessary to get them done.

Have a "Same Page Meeting" 1 time per month to get partners on the same page.  Communicate thoughts, express concerns, unite fronts.  If can't get on the same page consider counseling, coaching, or remediation.

Great leaders need to schedule quiet thinking time away.   It's necessary to get out of the grind and think bigger to return laser focused.   Grab a blank legal pad and a pen and find your place.   It's like a clarity break.  Make it an appointment that you schedule with yourself.

If you can't find an hour, you need 2.  

Don't be distracted by shiny stuff.   Especially for visionaries.  Keep it within your core focus.   You can venture out to shiny stuff as long as it doesn't drain anything from the core focus.

To get started, use this model top to bottom.   Right to left.  There are 7 main tools with 12 secondary tools.  Start with leadership team and make sure they have mastered them before rolling them down.

1. Accountability Chart: with people analyzer and GWC
   1. Helps determine the right structure for organization.
2. Rocks: 1 helps you set better rocks.
3. Meeting Pulse: with IDS, level 10, quarterly, annuals.
4. Scorecard:  make it a powerful predictive tool using KPI and accountability.
5. Plans:  1 yr plan.  3 yr and 10 yr picture.   Marketing Plan.  Core Values.  Core Focus.  Quarterly state of the company meetings.
6. 3 step process documenter: usually a 6 - 12 month process
7. Everyone has a number:  and reward based on the KPI's

Find out the areas that will give the most bang for the buck in your organization.   Though, normally, this is the order.

Amount of absorption is better than speed.  Typically at least 1 year.  Especially important to have all leaders on board if have multiple locations.

Stay focused. 

Post #8 in a multi-part series from the excellent book Traction by Gino Wickman

Meeting Pulse:  How it Really Happens

Not all meetings are bad.  You probably need more meetings but better meetings.  This is the "Level 10" Meeting.   This weekly Level 10 Meeting will become your organizations heartbeat.

2 types of meetings:  Quarterly and Weekly

Quarterly

We live in a 90 Day World.   Humans stumble, lose focus, and get off track roughly every 90 days.

It's human nature so stop fighting it.

So the 90 day world has to be a routine.   Creates a laser focus and keeps you on track.   Go from working in-the-business to on-the-business.  Fight the need to coast a bit when things seem to be going well.

• Who: leadership team.
• Where: off-site.
• How long: 1 day.
• Frequency: 90 days.   Pre-requisite: vision organizer complete and bring visions for next 90 days.  When: as close to quarter end as possible.

Meeting Agenda:  Share best business and personal news from quarter, Review previous quarter results and rocks, Review the VTO, Create rocks, Key issues, Next Steps, Conclude

To start, each person should share their best business and personal news in the last 90 days.   What is working and not working? What are your expectations for the day?

If rocks failed from previous quarter it's generally from setting too high of expectations or somebody dropped the ball.   If goals were too high, learn and adjust.    If someone dropped the ball, review if it was really attainable.   If it was, it might be an accountability issue.  Put that on the issues list and solve it.  Then decide if the incomplete rocks get carried over to finish or reassign to someone else.

SWOT:  Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threats.    Everyone lists these to create an issues list.  Then do issue solving.

When people know the quarterly meeting is coming up there is a build-up time where people will think more introspectively and creatively to think of opportunities and challenges that they wouldn't have otherwise thought of.

Next, solve any issues using IDS:  Identify, Discuss, Solve.  Discuss and debate until everyone is on the same page.   Then go over Next Steps.

To Conclude:  Everyone shares feedback, rates the meeting (want >8), and whether or not their expectations were met.

Weekly

Your weekly "Level 10 Meeting" is designed for taking the vision down to the ground.  Helps execute the vision by focusing on the rocks.  Creates a consistent cadence using level 10 meeting format.

Every week, no cancel, no reschedule.  No phones or electronic devices.

What makes for great meetings is solving problems.

No more than 90 minutes.  Everyone brings their rocks sheet.  Issues solving track MUST be understood and used by all.

Agenda:  1 person runs and somebody keeps track of rocks sheet and scorecard.

• Opening 5 minutes - Share good news to segue into the meeting.
• Scorecard 5 minutes-  Checking the KPI's.  These are the numbers that you established earlier.
• Rock Review 5 minutes-  Make sure rocks are on track.  Company & individual.   Just "on-track" or "off-track".  No explanations.  Off-Track rocks go to the IDS portion.
• Customer/Employee Headlines 5 minutes-
• To-Do List 5 minutes: Separate To-Do's from Rocks.   Cross off To-Do's that were established in previous meetings and have been completed.   At least 90% of things should be checked that week.  Nothing stays longer than 2 weeks.
• IDS (Identify, Discuss, Solve) 60 minutes -  Where the magic happens.  Solving issues.  Generally 3-5 come from last week.  Then add 5-10 new.  Prioritize the issues.  Generally turns into a plan of attack for the To-Do list
• Conclude 5 minutes -   Pull whole meeting together and frame the meeting.   Recap the new to-do list and action items.  Reinforces accountability.   Determine how to communicate any changes.

Each participant will then rate the meeting on a 1-10.  And end on time.

This meeting Should be same day and time each week.  Each week has the same agenda.  Do everything possible to end on time.