Last week we introduced the new brand and "PlanningOS."

This week we're jumping into part one of four: the foundation or the 5/10 year plan.

Why do you need one? How do you do it?

We answer this all below.

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PlanningOS: The FOundation

When you get in business, you get busy doing the work.

In doing the work, you find yourself overwhelmed and busy with too much to do.

This ultimately results in you not having the time to work on the big picture problems the business has, which can result in a rot from within.

Growing up, my grandpa would take me out to an acreage he leased to clear brush and work on the land. In Oklahoma, cedar trees are an invasive species and would take over the land if not controlled. So much of this time was spent cutting cedars down.

Sometimes we’d come across trees that appeared to have just fallen over. But as you got closer and inspected them, they had rotted from within.

On the outside, everything seemed fine. But then one day it had fallen over. Until it fell over, often there was no sign of the rot.

The same happens in a business. Whether cultural issues, financial issues, or some other issues… the business seems fine until it’s not.

And too often, this is the result of the business owner working “in” the business instead of working “on” the business.

A business can’t be all it’s capable of without the business owner zooming out and spending some time working “on” the business.

So today, we’re going to spend some time zooming out. We’re going to reflect on the past, visualize the future, and create the framework of a plan.

This can’t be done in 10 minutes. Shoot, sometimes not 10 hours.

But my request of you is that set aside the time necessary. That you take this exercise seriously.

Between now and the end of the year, spend one day (or two) going through these exercises.

Let’s dive in.

REFLECT ON THE PAST

Without looking back, you can’t know what’s possible in the near future.

Take some time to answer the following questions:

1. What challenges need to be overcome?
2. What opportunities need to be captured?
3. What strengths need to be leveraged?

VISUALIZE YOUR FUTURE

Once you understand the past, look towards the future.

We’re not talking one year or even two years into the future. We’re talking five or ten years.

We do this in three steps:

1. Define core areas of focus
2. Create a specific vision statement for each
3. Refine your values in light of the future

DEFINE CORE AREAS OF FOCUS

People often start with values here. Business values are great, but they’re often abstract, especially a long ways out.

So instead, think about the key areas (personally and professionally) that would be key drivers.

Ask: in ten years, what are your areas of focus and what is the desired outcome in each?

Some examples of areas of focus and questions you could ask:

1. Customers: How do you want customers to feel and talk about your business?
2. Employees: Why are your employees excited to come to work?
3. Market Positioning: What unique value proposition do your bring to the market?
4. Financially (business & personal): What financial outcome is meaningful, both personally and professionally?

Name 3-5 areas of focus and then start to work on creating a vision for each.

CREATE A SPECIFIC VISION STATEMENT FOR EACH FOCUS

When creating the specific vision for each area of focus, go back to the question, what is your desired outcome?

Ask:

1. What is your desired outcome?
2. How would you define success?

Go back to the three questions from earlier:

1. What challenges need to be overcome?
2. What opportunities need to be captured?
3. What strengths need to be leveraged?

Before you move onto the next steps, truly refine these visions to be specific.

A good vision will be:

1. Clear
2. Specific
3. Ambitious
4. Values aligned
5. Inspirational

Notice: measurable is not on this list. We’re more thinking in terms of feeling at this point, versus specific measureables. It’s okay to dream and create a “soft” vision at this point. We’ll bring the measureables in later.

Here are some examples of a refined vision and what they’d look like (as written by ChatGPT):

Customers: “In ten years, our customers see us as their most trusted partner, eagerly sharing their success stories and viewing us as an essential part of their growth. They describe our business as reliable, innovative, and genuinely invested in their success.”

Employees: “Our workplace is a destination for top talent where team members are energized by meaningful work, mutual respect, and opportunities for growth. Employees feel valued, motivated, and aligned with our mission, contributing to high retention and a vibrant, collaborative culture.”

Market Positioning: “We are recognized as the premier choice in our sector, offering unique, data-driven solutions that no one else provides. Our brand is synonymous with quality, innovation, and reliability, setting the standard others strive to meet.”

Financial Growth (Business): “Our business generates consistent double-digit revenue growth annually, reinvesting profits to fuel expansion, innovation, and employee development. Our financial resilience allows us to navigate economic shifts confidently, delivering sustained value to shareholders and employees alike.”

Personal Financial Security (Owner): “In ten years, I have achieved financial independence, allowing me to focus on strategic areas in the business and meaningful community projects. My personal wealth strategy includes balanced investments that ensure stability and growth, providing peace of mind for the future.”

Community Impact: “Our business is a cornerstone in the community, recognized for our environmental sustainability efforts and our commitment to local causes. We are known for giving back, supporting initiatives that strengthen the social and economic fabric of our community.”

REFINE YOUR VALUES IN LIGHT OF THE FUTURE

We didn’t address values earlier because I think people often think they have values, but they don’t really know their true values.

So here, now that you’ve written a vision for each of the 3-5 core areas of focus, ask: what are the common themes.

Some more questions to ask:

1. What does your vision say about the things you value?
2. How do your current values need to change?
   1. Which current values are “real” and lived?
   2. Which current values are aspirational, meaning not yet achieved?
3. What will that change mean for your team and business?

I like making values active, versus passive words. Here are some examples, again… with the help of ChatGPT:

Speed with Precision – Details matter, but deadlines come first. Move quickly and spot-check your work for accuracy. Collaborate with the team to confirm key details and deliver on time.

Speak Your Mind – Practice radical transparency. Share ideas, concerns, and frustrations openly. Problems can be solved when they’re spoken. Trust your team to handle honest feedback like adults.

Bring Solutions Forward – Thinking critically means identifying problems—and solutions. Bring possible answers, not just issues, to the table. Be proactive in solving challenges together.

Anticipate and Act – Stay one step ahead by identifying and addressing needs before they’re requested. Serve clients (internal and external) by delivering what they need before they ask.

CREATE A PLAN

Now that you’ve laid out the future, it’s time to come up with a plan.

Ask: what are some initiatives, that align with your future vision, that you’re interested in exploring?

List as many ideas as you can come up with. Nothing is stupid at this point. Just get words to paper.

Once you’ve finished your list, do an “Impact - Competency Matrix.”

IMPACT - COMPETENCY MATRIX

Look at each of the initiatives and ask:

1. What is the impact or opportunity size?
2. How competent are you currently in the area?

You’ll put this on a scale of low to high, done in a 2x2 matrix format.

Place each where they should go on the matrix. Don’t overthink it.

As you place things on the matrix, you may have other ideas and that’s fine. Continue adding.

Once you’ve placed all items in the matrix, look at two segments:

1. High Impact, High Competency
2. High Impact, Medium/Low Competency

For #2, ask if there is a fast and easy way to increase the competency. In some cases, it could be hiring one person. In others, it could be a huge investment of time and money.

Then, based on the ones in these two areas, choose the strategic initiatives you want to chase after.

Consider which area of focus they fall in and try and have at least one for each area.

Be careful to be aggressive but reasonable.

You have to consider the effort required versus your available resources in that area. Some may have one, if it’s really big. Others may have three, if they’re all small.

Once you’ve picked your initiatives, it’s time to make it actionable.

MAKE IT ACTIONABLE

A goal isn’t achievable until there is a responsible person and a plan to achieve it.

That means you need:

1. Date of Completion
2. An Annual Goal
3. Quarterly Sprint Targets
4. Weekly Actions

You’ve set your 5 to 10 year vision above, so to achieve that you have to break it down into what’s achievable in the next year.

Once you’ve done that, break it down in the four quarters. Ask: what do I need to do each quarter to make progress towards the goal.

Then, what things do I need to do daily or weekly to make it achievable?

If you want to increase revenue, you need to improve your sales and marketing. What action do you need to take each week? More sales calls? More sales conversions?

Going into a new region or market? Identify the key milestones. When you’ll have the research done. When you’ll identify partners to work with.

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This can all be an intimidating process, so I’ve put together some template sheets to hopefully make it a bit more achievable. Click the image below to download it.

Let me know by replying: is there anything that’s unclear? What do you need help with?

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