16/06/2010
Dear <<First Name>> The One Main Thing
What is the one main thing that your business needs to focus on? There is always one main thing and one main measure that a business needs to understand. This essential item is what drives the business. It is the critical lead indicator that reveals the health of the business. This one main thing in the business will vary from business to business, from industry to industry. Whilst there are common elements amongst industries and businesses there are still substantial differences that mean that the one main thing, the one main measure will be different. It is not to say that other areas of the business don’t need to be focused on, or that other numbers are not important to know. What it is to say is that there is one area of the business that is the real ‘engine’ of the business. It is like the dashboard in our car. There are a number of indicators that the dashboard highlights to us, but there’s also no doubt that the number one indicator is the speed of the vehicle. We all know that we need to keep within the speed limit on the road, we know that going too fast can lead to accidents, we know that we need to travel at a certain speed to get to our destination. It’s not the only indicator of the vehicle, but it’s an important one to focus on. The analogy is not perfect because the speed of the vehicle is not necessarily a perfect lead indicator. The One Main Thing that we need to focus on needs to be able to tell us about the future results of the business. The One Main Thing is like the focal point of the camera. To take a good photo it needs to be in focus. The camera needs to be targeted at the particular object or person. The One Main Thing is like that focusing. It directs our attention to what really matters. An excellent case study of The One Main Thing is told by Gordon Bethune, CEO of Continental Airlines in the late 90s in his book “From Worst to First”. When Gordon joined as CEO of Continental the one number that the business focused on was cost per passenger mile. Measures change behaviours and this measure as the main focus led to some crazy behaviour.
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You are invited to attend ... The One Main Thing, The One Main Number
Wednesday 4 August 2010, Sydney NSW In this one-day workshop you will learn how to identify the one main thing. You will learn how to identify the number that really matters. And the good news is - the process is simple and fast (even if you hate numbers). Through his information rich, thought challenging and pragmatic approach, Steve takes business through a journey in discovering: - Why financial measures and KPI's are a waste of time.
- How businesses REALLY make money (and no it is not how you think).
- The 3 essential questions to ask before deciding ANYTHING in your business.
- Simple strategies for working out hard measures for the soft issues.
- The 5-step process to working out the one number that is critical for your business.
Would like to attend this event? Click Here to Register
Focal Point
Thought Leaders Fix Problems Problems exist at three levels. - The known problems
- The unspoken problems
- The unknown problems
If you want to convince me that you have something I need, then know my problems as I express them. Know the problems I won't talk about (that I do know at some level) and know the problem that I don't even know I have.
Too many experts start at number three and wonder why they scare away every opportunity. Matt Church, Inspiring Thought Leadership.
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