Business Acumen – The words reverberate with the precise confidence of success. This manager seems to have a business compass to hone in on the directional decisions that are right for the organization.

Acumen, conveys a confidence and knowledge for efficient and effective business. Although these words convey a natural ability, the truth is that business acumen is more a verb in practice than a noun. You need to develop acumen as an active search for business skills and to applying that knowledge over time. Great concept…but now you’re thinking what does that mean to me in my career?

Business acumen is about focus so let’s think about a Ready – Aim – Fire approach for your success.

Several years ago, as part of a large organization, I was challenged along with a peer to create a leadership program for a particular group of upper-level executives. Exciting as the opportunity was we were overwhelmed because we had little direction or suggestions from our sponsoring senior executive. After much brainstorming (and complaining to each other), we decided that we needed to pursue some expert advice. One of those experts was a speaker/author who had been part of another event that we had supported. John was a favorite throughout the organization because he was a passionate speaker, could deeply connect with his audience, and was a “wealth of information”. John is/was not a “hoarder” of his expertise. By that I mean, while he was paid for his expertise, you felt like he was consistently going beyond the expected agreement. And for John, the contract never ended. You could email or call him long after any contracted event and he would respond promptly with as much information he had on any topic. He shared all his expertise and would point you to other experts.

Recently, I was coaching an entrepreneur who was struggling with getting and keeping customers. The entrepreneur asked me this question, “How can I get people to automatically think of me when they are seeking my kind of expertise?” The million dollar question, right? I sent the entrepreneur off to think about that question and added this question, “Why should anyone think of you first?” Of course, I was thinking about those two questions as well. That’s how John popped into my head. When I needed an expert, he was the first one to come to mind. So why was he “top of mind” and how did he get there? Here is how I answered the two questions with John as my model.

Why should someone think of you?

• Your expertise is clear and concise. You and your potential customer know exactly what you bring to the table.
• You deliver beyond what is expected. Yes, you give what you’re contracted to do and you always bring “extra”.
• Working with you is easy and pleasant. Being good at what you do is not enough. People actually need to like you.
• You are not only an expert, you are a great “thought partner”. It’s about the customer’s success and how they define it.
• You’re accessible and available. Customers will not hunt nor wait for you.

How can you get to “top of mind”?

• Have a clearly, detailed, specific vision of what you do and who you are. Potential customers want to know what you specifically can deliver. As simple as this may sound, many “experts” cannot articulate what they bring to the stated need. You and your team must be able to clearly state the vision/mission of your organization. If there is not a well-defined vision, then confusion, conflict, and indecision will rule.
• “Lagniappe” is a term that is used in my home state of Louisiana. It means to give/deliver a little extra. Always surprise your customers with a little extra. One of the things that John did was to give free resources or notebooks. He wouldn’t rush away after the workshops or speeches – he would stay to listen or answer questions. Weeks later, he would send you a note about a topic that you and he discussed.
• No one wants to work with a prima donna. I have chosen not to work with specific experts because of their inflexibility and “superior” attitudes. Being a difficult vendor will hurt you more than you can imagine. Check with you current customers and team on ways to improve your reputation.
• Take pride in your desire to customize your delivery/material/product for each customer. John was an excellent thought-partner in developing what he would deliver. He always wanted to know our intended outcomes and would brainstorms ways to get there. He studied our organization. Do not become known for “off the shelf” or “this is good enough” delivery. I am not suggesting that you re-invent yourself for every customer but rather connect with that customer where their need exists. Listen more than you tell. Every organization/team has its own unique culture and you need to identify it and be able to relate to it.
• Be easy to find and very responsive. Make sure your contact information and website is current and relative. This may seem a like a “no brainer” but it’s amazing how many irrelevant and outdated sites and poor contact information I have encountered. Respond immediately (in less than 24hrs). John always had an automatic response that stated he’s reception of our message and the time he would respond which was never more than 24hrs. He or his assistant returned our calls promptly. He was always pro-active. He kept us updated. I never had to pursue him for information.
• Always seek feedback from your customers. John would seek feedback as soon as he delivered and then a few weeks later. He said he did it this way so he could collect what was “fresh” on the customers mind and then later after the implementation or execution of the plan to see that the intended outcomes were achieved.
• Remember – the contract never ends. Continually check with your customer. Send resources. Be willing to be a thought-partner if something goes awry with the plans. John was never intrusive or a “pest”. He would send short notes with a resource or an article. He didn’t ask for more work….he would say, “I’m a resource – use me.”

I am sure that John “gave away” a lot of his expertise. I know he did for me. I also know that John’s company has grown from a man of one to many. And he is still one of the most sought after experts in his field. I challenge you to work on becoming “top of mind” in your area of expertise. And if you need help, use me, I am good resource!

For strategy, Dr. Seuss said it best…. “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose...”

When I first started working in strategic planning, this became my favorite quote. Meetings were a sea of vague but lofty strategic terms. Discussions focused on visionaries who could see and define a future the rest of us could not. I cringed at critical assessments such as “she can’t think strategically” or “he doesn’t have vision”. I was frustrated by the conflict between this elite view of strategy and my values that each individual has insights to contribute to future planning. I see this collaboration as the very essence of a leadership planning model.

My work is energized by a much simpler and more basic view of what is important for effective strategy…an engaged team that understands and contributes to a common future vision. In one of my favorite books, Being Strategic, Erica Anderson has a quote “Being strategic means consistently making those core directional choices that will best move you toward your hoped-for future”. This simple definition in a complex world of business, knits operations and strategy into cohesive future direction. If you can create actionable strategy that your whole team understands, you create communication to power your organization.

So how do you actually build effective strategy? Like any team effort, diverse thinking builds a better product. Committing the time and effort for the process is critical and well worth the investment. Invest your time for strategy in the following ways

1. Solicit input from a broad group of constituents – include time for surveys, brainstorming, and research to fuel creative thinking.
2. Revisit and refine your Mission – The mission statement can provide a bright light for your planning, so take the time to work with it.
3. Actively listen to your clients – Remember why you exist and who you are serving. Don’t rely on dated input and information. Bring in new opinions.
4. Define 3-5 high level goals, themes, or objectives for dynamic progress – Be sure to take the time to synthesize to this manageable number. This focus is critical for action.
5. Define process checkpoints to discuss and measure progress. A great strategic plan that is left on the shelf is meaningless. Inclusive strategy needs to be reviewed regularly to stay on course.

The business world of today is powered by diverse teams. Success is driven by passion, commitment, and a plan. Strategy is the plan to energize and empower the people in your organization “in any direction you choose”. Hats off to Dr. Theodor Seuss Geisel for saying it best. Use your strategy to “steer you in any direction you choose”.