We want to align our V/TO with our long-term exit goals, but we are worried that putting our plan to sell the company in ten years on a document shared with the entire staff will cause panic and turnover. How do we handle this on our V/TO?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

You do not need to write 'sell the company' as your Ten-Year Target on the V/TO. Your target should focus on the size, scale, and market position of the business, not the transaction itself.

A buyer does not pay a premium for a business just because the owner wants to sell. They pay a premium for a healthy, growing, self-sustaining company. Therefore, your Ten-Year Target and Three-Year Picture should define what that ultimate, high-value organization looks like. Focus on metrics like revenue, profitability, geographic reach, or customer impact.

By building a business that meets these targets, you are naturally preparing it for a clean exit. The operations will be strong, the leadership team will be aligned, and the business will run independently of you. This aligns perfectly with the Exit Ready framework without creating unnecessary anxiety among your staff.

When you roll out the V/TO to the company, focus on the vision of growth and stability. Your employees want to know that the company has a bright, secure future.

Keep your personal exit plans and transaction timelines in your private planning sessions with your Implementer. Use your quarterly Rocks to build the enterprise value needed to achieve that exit. This keeps your team focused on execution while you quietly build a highly transferable asset.