Flywheel = Focus x Faith x Effort
Business is very much like trying to turn a massive flywheel. 20 tonnes of steel, virtually impossible to budge. Just like in business, we push, and push, and push but can only budge the flywheel an inch. Our team may not believe that pushing the flywheel is going to achieve anything, some may be pushing the wrong way while others don't care and head to the pub. Some may believe that the best thing is to make it shiny and sparkly. It can be tough at times.
We try again. This time we tell them what the end goal is, why we are doing this and what it will achieve. They start to have faith that this is the right thing to do. A renewed team start to push a little harder. Everyone becomes more focused in what they are doing. Effort is being applied not sideways, not backwards, but forwards with the goal of moving the flywheel faster.
The more focused we become, the more faith people have in the leader and his desire to spin the flywheel, as well as more concentrated effort, the flywheel spins faster and faster. As we go on, it keeps going, gathering momentum, eventually to the point where it seems to take very little effort to keep it spinning. A gentle tap every now and then keeps the momentum up. Right now, Focus, Faith and Effort are aligned.
Flywheel = Focus x Faith x Effort
Focus is about how we are aligned to the end goal and the path that we are going to take to get there. The more focused we are, we don't get distracted or take on jobs that don't add to the ultimate goal.
Faith is about the belief we have in the leader and the strategy. Is this the right path the take? Could we be doing it better? Is everyone willing to follow the leader?
Effort is about ensuring that all actions that we do are aimed at ultimately spinning the flywheel just that little bit faster and faster.
If the team only has 50% Focus, 50% Faith and 50% Effort, then the fastest they will be able to spin the flywheel is 12.5%. Not much.
If we increase to 80% Focus, 80% Faith and 80% Effort, then we can turn the flywheel at just 51%. Only half of its capacity.
When we do really well and have 95% Focus, 95% Faith and 95% Effort, then we can spin the Flywheel at 86% of its capacity.
It's impossible to have 100% on each. It's not about trying to achieve 100%. It's about the importance of small changes. A change from 50% to 80% results in being able to spin the flywheel almost five times faster! Just imagine being able to make your business spin five or even eight times faster.
We try again. This time we tell them what the end goal is, why we are doing this and what it will achieve. They start to have faith that this is the right thing to do. A renewed team start to push a little harder. Everyone becomes more focused in what they are doing. Effort is being applied not sideways, not backwards, but forwards with the goal of moving the flywheel faster.
The more focused we become, the more faith people have in the leader and his desire to spin the flywheel, as well as more concentrated effort, the flywheel spins faster and faster. As we go on, it keeps going, gathering momentum, eventually to the point where it seems to take very little effort to keep it spinning. A gentle tap every now and then keeps the momentum up. Right now, Focus, Faith and Effort are aligned.
Flywheel = Focus x Faith x Effort
Focus is about how we are aligned to the end goal and the path that we are going to take to get there. The more focused we are, we don't get distracted or take on jobs that don't add to the ultimate goal.
Faith is about the belief we have in the leader and the strategy. Is this the right path the take? Could we be doing it better? Is everyone willing to follow the leader?
Effort is about ensuring that all actions that we do are aimed at ultimately spinning the flywheel just that little bit faster and faster.
If the team only has 50% Focus, 50% Faith and 50% Effort, then the fastest they will be able to spin the flywheel is 12.5%. Not much.
If we increase to 80% Focus, 80% Faith and 80% Effort, then we can turn the flywheel at just 51%. Only half of its capacity.
When we do really well and have 95% Focus, 95% Faith and 95% Effort, then we can spin the Flywheel at 86% of its capacity.
It's impossible to have 100% on each. It's not about trying to achieve 100%. It's about the importance of small changes. A change from 50% to 80% results in being able to spin the flywheel almost five times faster! Just imagine being able to make your business spin five or even eight times faster.
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