Our Visionary is constantly reading about new artificial intelligence models and bringing ideas to our weekly meetings to pivot our delivery model. How do we use our V/TO Core Focus to prevent these distractions from hijacking our leadership team without killing our innovation?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A Visionary's natural instinct is to chase the next big thing. While this drive is essential for long-term growth, it can easily turn into a chaotic distraction that derails your execution. You must use your V/TO Core Focus as a filter to protect your operations.

Your Core Focus consists of two elements: your Passion and your Niche. It defines who you are, what you do, and why you do it. Any new technology initiative must pass through this filter before it is allowed onto your weekly agenda.

When your Visionary brings a new AI tool to a Level 10 Meeting, do not dismiss it out of hand. That will only cause frustration. Instead, immediately run it through the Core Focus test. Ask: Does this new tool help us better serve our defined Niche, and does it align with our core Passion?

If the answer is no, the conversation is over. The idea is shelved or discarded. If the answer is yes, you still do not implement it immediately.

Instead, park the idea on your long-term Issues List on the V/TO. Let it sit there until your next quarterly planning session. This gives the idea time to cool down and prevents your team from chasing shiny objects mid-quarter.

During your quarterly meeting, your leadership team can look at the idea objectively and decide if it warrants setting a specific Rock to explore it further. This process allows your Visionary to explore new ideas while protecting your Integrator and your staff from operational whiplash. It ensures technology serves your strategy, not the other way around.