TCFBO #024: Operational vs Strategic

Read Time: 3.5 minutes

Have you ever had a moment where everything in your business felt like utter chaos?

You’re jumping from one task to the next.

Your to-do list feels endless.

And every problem feels like a blazing fire that you need to put out immediately.

If you have felt like this, you’re definitely not alone!

We’ve felt like it on numerous occassions.

It didn’t matter whether it was…

…extremely tight cashflow when an invoice wasn’t paid on time

…outsourcers disappearing overnight

…or competitors seemingly emerging from out of nowhere.

When we let any of these things take our focus off the bigger picture, we’d go into a tailspin.

You see, in business, we often find ourselves bouncing between operational and strategic tasks.

When we talk about operational tasks, we mean the day-to-day routine tasks, things that keep the lights on.

You know. Things like…

…making a sale

…dealing with a customer

…or simply following a process that’s already in place.

These tasks typically keep the business running as it currently stands with little change.

Whereas, when we talk about strategic tasks, we mean actions that move the business from where it is today to where we want it to be in the future.

Things like…

…developing new products

…simplifying processes

…or implementing new systems.

These strategic tasks typically move a project forward with the intention of improving the business.

Now, when you first start implementing a strategic plan, your business operations and your business strategy will run almost entirely as two separate workstreams.

And the vast majority of your time and energy will be spent on the operational tasks.

This can be frustrating because you know what needs to change but that change takes time.

A small business has the advantage of being able to change direction far quicker than a large corporation.

But all change takes some degree of time.

However, as time progresses and you build momentum, the amount of energy you dedicate to your strategic endeavours increases and less energy is spent on your old ways of doing things.

Until eventually your day-to-day operations and your strategy become fully integrated.

And your business strategy becomes your new business operations…your new way of doing things.

But why is it important to have a strategic plan?

If you’re completely happy with everything in your business as things currently stand you may not feel the need to change anything at all.

But the fact is, that even if your business isn’t changing, the world around it is.

And unless you have a strategy to ensure your business stays relevant, you run the risk of the changes in the world becoming so great that your business simply cannot operate in the way it once did.

Plus becoming more strategic is a game changer.

As business owners, when we think, plan and implement strategically, we switch modes.

We go from being reactive to proactive.

Instead of constantly fighting fires, we plan ahead.

We start building systems that anticipate issues as well as potential opportunities.

We become more efficient.

Instead of juggling numerous tasks and feeling overwhelmed we’re able to prioritise and know exactly where to invest our time and resources for maximum impact.

We’re ahead of the curve, giving us more time to do more of the things we love.

If we’ve taken the time to align our strategic plan with our business vision, and our business vision is already aligned with our life vision, our “work life alignment” gets a boost too.

And when challenges pop up, we’re able to handle them far more effectively because we have the perspective of seeing them as a bump on a much bigger journey.

Now, we’re not saying throw caution to the wind and ignore immediate and pressing problems.

If there's a fire, by all means, put it out!

But don't lose sight of the bigger picture.

Your strategic plan shouldn't be a dusty document that sits on a shelf.

It's a living, breathing guide that helps you remain focused on and moving towards your vision.

One last thing.

As you start integrating your strategic plan with your daily operations, you'll notice a shift.

Things will begin to flow.

Clarity will increase.

Momentum will build.

And the vision you have for your business will start coming to life.

Let us know how you get on and we’ll see you next week.

Paul & Philly

P.S. If you’re unfamiliar with “Work Life Alignment", you can read more about it here.

Whenever you’re ready, there are two ways we can help you:

1. Discover how to create a life and business you truly love with your copy of “Backwards Planning - A Simple Method to Move You and Your Business Forward” from Amazon.

2. To work with us through the entire “Backwards Planning” process outlined in the book, you can apply to join The Clear Focus Business Academy.

The first step is to book a facilitated Life Vision Session which we conduct one to one over Zoom. This session will not only give you clarity on what you want from your life but will give you the opportunity to experience how we work and ensure we're a good fit for each other before deciding whether The Clear Focus Business Academy is right for you. It comes with a 100% money back guarantee, so if you're not entirely satisfied, simply let us know at the end of the session and we'll issue a full refund.