From Chaos to Clarity… Creating your own plan!
RE-POSTED from the ‘Chaos To Clarity’ workshop we did for HOW Design Conference a couple years back: http://tinyurl.com/7qbcmf5
We thought we’d give you a sneak peek of our workshop…
The business plan is an essential tool, not only for the business owner to design the roadmap for the organization, but for the individual to articulate his or her career path.
The Six Cs: The Purpose of a Business Plan
CLARIFY – To clarify your vision for what you want to create and why. As design professionals, you may just be happy being paid to do what you love. However, it’s important to take this a step further and create a vision for where you want to take your career. Whether you are a business leader, work within a firm, or operate independently, take the time to get clear about where you envision you and your business going. Rather than pushing, you’ll feel yourself being pulled toward your vision.
CONNECT – To connect to the values you want to live and breathe as an organization. Feeling solid about what’s important to you and how you want to live out your vision will give you more motivation than you could imagine. When you know what you stand for, your mission will be self-evident. And you’ll know on a deep level when you are on or off your “right path.”
CHART – To chart a map for how you are going to get there. The bottom line is most of you are extremely visual. Designing a plan and writing the important milestones down makes it so much easier to SEE the way. You will also be able to more easily anticipate pitfalls and road blocks that might get in your way as you move yourself from point A to point B. Once you have it laid out in front of you, you may be able to devise a scenic route or a couple of side excursions to make the trip that much more enjoyable. This isn’t about being rigid but using this as a frame of reference, a guide.
CREATE – To create structures that will support you along the journey. Even if you are not a big fan of structure, you can’t deny that organizing your time, energy, and resources makes things so much easier. And your clients love you for it. If you want your vision to happen and your plan to work out, start getting your ducks in a row. Design systems that work, get the tools you need, and partner with people you can rely on, and set yourself up to win. You may find that when you have some structure in place, you have more space and freedom to focus on what you love doing.
COMMUNICATE – To communicate to others the purpose and plan so that they can get on-board. Ultimately, your business is about communication. Your work conveys a message – an image, a brand, an identity. So must your business plan. You want people to get who and what you are about. Clearly articulate your vision, values, mission, and map in a compelling way to generate buy-in, energy, and excitement.
COMMIT – To commit to yourself and gain commitment from everyone who has a stake in your success. It starts with you. If you want others to believe in you, you have to believe in you. Get clear about who you are, where you want to go, and ideas on how you’d like to get there. Commit to making it happen, having a plan, and share what you are up to. Your consistency, dedication, and enthusiasm will attract more business than you think.
If you have questions or want to hear more where this came from feel free to contact me direct at rashelle@getinvision.com
Cheers, RaShelle