BLUEPRINT takes strategy out of your head, and into play

By Sonya Hall, Founder and Owner, Thrive Village

The “daily grind/immediate demands” of private business turns the most well-intentioned entrepreneurs into firefighters, sacrificing their vision for long-term growth to stay alive in the moment. Most know a strategy is important and have a mental picture for where they want to go. To be successful, everyone needs to be a part of the same plan – from the management team down to the front line. Entrepreneurs who can cast their vision and create passion for a big hairy audacious goal, while communicating a clear and simple plan for getting the job done…have a shot at successful execution.

It’s tough, but entirely possible, to get your team fully aligned and moving in the same direction. Thrive Village and the Goering Center have collaborated to provide business owners and their management teams with a BLUEPRINT for success. This one-page framework provides clarity, guidance, and direction, defining where you want to go and what you want to achieve. Just as importantly, it also clarifies where you do not want to go and what you do not want to achieve, so you can keep everyone focused on the road to success.

Each BLUEPRINT is flexible to changing circumstances and environments – so the approach can evolve along with the team, the company, and the shifting marketplace. Facing a fork in the road? Tough decision to make with a customer? Consult your BLUEPRINT – it’s your guidepost for decision making.

BLUEPRINT is designed for:

  • Small to mid-sized companies
  • Companies in rapid growth who lack critical infrastructure or a management team with planning expertise
  • Companies with a new board of advisors, but without a defined plan to share with them
  • Companies who require a stronger sense of direction or who have lost momentum in the market
  • Companies wishing to include a new generation of leaders in crafting the future

The program will not suit companies where...

  • The team has unresolved conflict and cannot hold difficult conversations
  • Company is in the midst of extreme disruption (new acquisition, new ownership, change in ownership)
  • Company’s viability is in question
  • The team takes a great deal of time to deliberate and make choices

Any business initiative requires a plan to gauge its success. Activating a board of advisors, leadership team, or project team and empowering them with a multi-year business BLUEPRINT will support their effectiveness and increase their value to your company and its long-term trajectory.

Inclusion leads to buy-in. Your team will build momentum if you assemble important players around a table and create an actionable plan together. If individuals are not involved in the formation of a strategy, leadership will find it difficult to align their larger team to the chosen stretch goal and internal deadlines. By joining together to build the BLUEPRINT, each stakeholder will be equipped with the needed focus and accountability to make thoughtful decisions.

The program consists of two half-day, in-person workshops or four, two-hour virtual sessions, for up to eight people. These are private, company sessions, conducted at the Goering Center or virtually and led by a Thrive Village facilitator. Outcomes include an established stretch goal – a bold, measurable goal – as well as a defined starting point to understand the distance between where you are and where you want to be. Your BLUEPRINT will determine critical metrics to ensure key priorities are met and progress is tracked on the journey to your desired future.

Sessions are fast paced and fully immersive, and BLUEPRINTs are ready for implementation in about six weeks. This program asks that your team is willing to invest some time outside of the sessions to complete additional reading, reflect, and share drafts with others to ensure our sessions are as fruitful as possible.

To learn more, contact Goering Center Program Director, Lisa Jonas, at lisa.jonas@uc.edu. Or register directly for the July 28 BLUEPRINT & Business Boards Institute Overview at the Goering Center.

About the Goering Center for Family & Private Business
Established in 1989, the Goering Center serves more than 400 member companies, making it North America’s largest university-based educational non-profit center for family and private businesses. The Center’s mission is to nurture and educate family and private businesses to drive a vibrant economy. Affiliation with the Carl H. Lindner College of Business at the University of Cincinnati provides access to a vast resource of business programing and expertise. Goering Center members receive real-world insights that enlighten, strengthen and prolong family and private business success. For more information on the Center, participation and membership visit goering.uc.edu.

Related Stories

1

Navigating IP strategies with UC’s 1819 Innovation Hub

March 28, 2024

While navigating the intricacies of pioneering research initiatives, faculty and student innovators can stay current on legal safeguards and protect invention commercialization through the University of Cincinnati’s tech transfer team in the 1819 Innovation Hub.

2

UC expands popular STEM program across Ohio

March 28, 2024

UC's popular Biology Meets Engineering program introduces high school students to STEM. Now, the National Science Foundation is paying UC to bring the program to three other Ohio universities.

Debug Query for this