We filled out our V/TO® during our annual, but it is just sitting on a digital drive and people are forgetting our Core Values. How do we make the V/TO® a daily operational tool instead of a static document?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A V/TO® that lives in a digital folder is just expensive wallpaper. To make it a living operational tool, you must weave it directly into your weekly and quarterly management habits. Start with your weekly Level 10 Meeting™. Every week, your team reviews the Scorecard and Rocks, which are derived directly from the one year plan and quarterly goals on your V/TO®. This creates a constant loop where daily actions are measured against your strategic vision.

Next, bring your Core Values to life by using them as the foundation for your people decisions. Do not just read them once a year. Use them in your quarterly conversations and annual reviews. When someone exhibits a core value, call it out publicly in your weekly headlines. If someone is violating a core value, use that specific value as the framework for your direct feedback.

You should also use the V/TO® to filter every major resource decision. When a new project or shiny opportunity arises, the leadership team must ask whether it aligns with the target market and three year picture outlined on page one of your V/TO®. If it does not, the answer is a firm no.

Finally, share the vision. Every quarter, the leadership team must deliver a State of the Company address to the entire organization, reviewing where the business is, where it is going, and how the current Rocks fit into the larger picture. By constantly pointing back to the V/TO® as your single source of truth, your team learns that it is the actual roadmap for the company's future.