If you have ever been on an orienteering activity, you will truly appreciate the value and importance of not only having a compass but knowing how to use it and keep it properly aligned to your destination. If this is a new term for you then basically this outdoor sport is about being given a map and compass and traversing a variety of terrains to move from point “A” to Point “B” in a timely fashion. The best time without penalties wins.
Having the map gives the outline of where you are and where you are heading. Much like a company’s operational goals and objectives, it outlines where the organization is at and where it is striving to go. To support this there are various business processes and procedures to effect the deliverables of the plan. One of the elements of a compass is that it uses the magnetic poles of the earth to keep a single point constant on the compass so the user can apply directional changes to navigate over or around terrain which is more challenging or not desirable to traverse.
In your business you need to have the ability to set a constant element to keep your organization pointing in a desired direction. The magnetic poles of your business are the platform and environment rooted in Core Purpose and Core Values. By having these points established for your organization your compass will always have a constant by which all interactions and decisions are based upon.
Much like in orienteering, when an obstacle or poor terrain is presented, the members of the team use their tools – map, compass etc. to make their best decision on how to take on the challenge. The same is true in your business. When a team in your business is presented with a challenge, they default back upon the Core Purpose and Core values to give them insights and guidance on making a decision which is best outcome oriented.
It all sounds very simple and logical but like novices to orienteering some people just jump in and think they know how to read a map and use a compass. They soon find out that what is easy on highway roads is not so easy in the middle of the woods where everything starts to look exactly the same. Walking in one direction feels right but in actuality could be 90 degrees or more off track. This issue adds lots of wasted time and frustration to the team.
Businesses sometimes appear to be novices in the area of using Purpose and Core Values. Not because they don’t see worth in them but because they have not had to actually use them or see how impactful they can be on achieving substantial outcomes. It also takes real time to get them established and hold everyone accountable to using them. Think of it this way, if the orienteering team heads out into the woods without a map or compass then they are already at a significant disadvantage. A business without a Core Purpose and Core Values is in the same situation. They are at a significant disadvantage to the competition to see who can be more agile and react more effectively to challenges because they have a framework to make better decisions.
At JKL Associates we are fully committed to our clients having, using, and holding themselves accountable to and for their Core Purpose and Core Values. Reach out to us to help you either establish or validate your Core Purpose and Core Values. Invest into your “Compass” so you can navigate the challenges of the marketplace, so the best outcomes are reality. Call us at MI (313) 527-7945 or FL (407) 984-7246.
Journey On!
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QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS – EMAIL US AT PARTNERS@JKLASSOCIATES.COM OR CALL OUR OFFICES – MI AT (313) 527-7945 FL AT (407) 984-7246
Celebrating 30 years of Delivering on “Promises”
