Our Visionary has found a highly profitable but distracted new product line that does not fit our Core Focus on our V/TO®. How do we evaluate this opportunity without causing a major rift on the leadership team?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a classic conflict between a Visionary's creative drive and the team's need for operational focus. To resolve it without creating tension, you must use your V/TO® as an objective, emotionless filter.

Do not dismiss the Visionary's idea immediately. Instead, schedule a dedicated session to run IDS® on the opportunity. Bring out your V/TO® and look at your Core Focus™, which consists of your purpose, cause, or passion, and your niche. Ask the leadership team to evaluate the new product line against these two pillars. If the opportunity does not align with your niche or serve your core purpose, it is a distraction, regardless of how profitable it seems.

Next, look at your three-year picture and your resources. If you pursue this new product line, what existing goals will you have to sacrifice? Every new initiative requires focus, talent, and capital. If you do not have the capacity on your Accountability Chart to run this new line without hurting your core business, the answer must be no or not yet.

If the opportunity is truly revolutionary, you can agree to revisit it during your next annual planning session. But mid-quarter, the rule is absolute: protect your traction and stick to the plan. This keeps the team aligned and prevents the business from fracturing.