You can always do better, so strive for continuous improvement.
1. Know yourself.
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Who are you?
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Where are you now?
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What are your values and principles?
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Where do you want to be?
2. Know your market.
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What is the market opportunity?
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What do customers really value?
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Who are your competitors?
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How fast is the industry evolving?
3. Define your Mission and Vision.
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Define in one sentence the main purpose of your company. This is your mission statement.
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Set clear corporate values which bound the scope of your activities.
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Inspire your employees and customers with a concise paragraph of what you want to achieve in the future. This is your Vision for the company.
4. Assess your position.
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Know your company’s strengths and weaknesses.
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Be aware of the market opportunities and threats.
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Identify growth sectors at the intersection of strengths and opportunities.
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Plan your defense from the combined risks of weaknesses and threats.
5. Review and revise your product and/or service offering.
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Clearly define your offering, highlighting the key elements required to succeed in the marketplace.
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Develop a roadmap to place your products and/or services in the hands of your customers.
6. Draft and action plan with achievable goals.
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Get everyone involved and jointly draft an action plan.
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Define quantifiable steps to accomplish your mission and set a course to fulfill your vision.
7. Optimize and deploy your assets.
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Have full accountability of your resources and put them to their best use.
8. Monitor & make adjustments.​
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Hold people accountable and reward them for their efforts.
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Make course adjustments as needed.
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Be well informed when making bold changes.
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Make sure internal communications are thorough and uncompromised.