We have filled out our Vision/Traction Organizer® but it feels like a strategic plan that we only look at once a quarter. How do we turn the V/TO® into an active filter for our daily operational decisions and opportunity screening?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The Vision/Traction Organizer® (V/TO®) only works if it acts as a filter for what you say no to. If your V/TO® is sitting in a shared drive and only gets opened during your quarterly sessions, it is just a document, not an operating system.

To make it an active tool, your leadership team must use it to screen every major opportunity and threat that arises between sessions. When a new project, potential acquisition, or product idea is proposed, your first step should be to run it through your Core Focus and your 3-Year Picture. Ask if this opportunity directly aligns with your defined niche and strategy. If it does not, you must reject it, regardless of how lucrative it appears.

You must also bring the V/TO® into your weekly Level 10 Meeting™. Use your Core Values to evaluate people issues during the IDS® portion of your agenda. When resolving operational roadblocks, ask if the proposed solution moves you closer to your 1-Year Plan and your 3-Year Picture.

Finally, share the document. Keep the V/TO® visible to the entire organization. Review your Core Focus and 10-Year Target at every quarterly state of the company meeting. When your employees see the leadership team using the V/TO® to make hard choices and turn down distractions, they will start using it to guide their own daily decisions.