We have a completed V/TO® but it sits in a shared drive and our employees do not actually know what is in it. How do we turn the V/TO® into a living filter that guides daily decisions across the entire organization?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A V/TO® that lives in a digital folder is just an expensive piece of paper. To make it a living tool, you must share it constantly and tie it directly to daily behaviors.

First, implement the State of the Company address every ninety days. The owner or Integrator must stand in front of the entire company and present the V/TO®. Walk through your Core Focus, your 10-Year Target, your 3-Year Picture™, and your 1-Year Plan. Then, celebrate the Rocks you just completed and share the new Rocks for the upcoming quarter. This regular rhythm ensures everyone knows exactly where the ship is heading.

Second, use the V/TO® as a hard filter during your quarterly departmental planning. If a manager proposes a new initiative that does not directly support the 1-Year Plan or align with your Core Focus, the answer is a flat no.

Third, integrate the V/TO® into your hiring and performance reviews. Use your Core Values to hire, fire, reward, and recognize your people. When your employees see that these values determine who gets promoted and who gets let go, the V/TO® ceases to be a document and becomes the operating culture of your business.