The Jigsaw Puzzle Cheat Sheet

We’ve all done jigsaw puzzles at one point in our lives. You dump all those intricately cut (and awkwardly shaped!) puzzle pieces on to the table – and you get started, right?

NO! You. Look. At. The. Picture. (Most people do. And if you don’t you’re a genius, you probably don’t need help. Exit here :))

You set up the front of the box, where you can easily see it – and then you determine your own particular strategy that will best solve this beast.

Some people – depending on the subject matter – start where it’s easiest.

Let’s face it, an expanse of blue sky, or a canopy of leafy green trees – those bits are going to be really hard to put together.

BUT, nine times out of ten – we will all do one thing first.

We start with the FOUR CORNERS.

Then we find all the straight-sided pieces and begin building the puzzle’s framework. THEN we fill in the middle bits – because even that expanse of blue sky is easier once you have the framework started.

The Vivid Vision – that picture on the front of the box – will then allow you to map out the framework, group colours with colours, and like piece with like.

And the mapping out the Vivid Vision for your company is no different – it’s what your company will look like, feel like, and act like in three years.

 Here are the Four Corners:

• Your BHAG, the big hairy audacious goal (thanks, James Collins and Jerry Porras)
• Your core purpose
• Your core values
• And your one-year plan to get started

So, now you have the full picture – as in the jigsaw puzzle – then you start reverse engineering – work backward – filling in “the sides” as it were.

“I look at the sides of the jigsaw puzzle as the people systems which are everything from the recruiting, interviewing, selection, reference checks, onboarding, training, leadership development and the off boarding of people. And then second side are all the meeting rhythms so from your annual and quarterly planning meeting, strategy meetings, financial review meetings, business area reviews, leadership team meetings, one on one meetings, et cetera. And then the third side of the puzzle is strategic thinking, so it’s all related to goal setting and planning and vision and thinking about the business in the future, which most companies don’t spend time on. And then – your fourth side is your one-year plan to make that vision come through. And it’s giving yourself and the leadership team time to just brainstorm and think about the business 12 months out so that when you get there you’ve already been able to start putting a plan in place. Planning comes after strategy. Most people have time for business planning, but they don’t have time for strategic thinking.” Cameron Herold

Ok. So clearly, I’m a fan when it comes to Cameron Herold.

He really speaks my language – I mean, my podcast is literally called “I’m A Millionaire! So Now What?” :)

But in all seriousness, my work in wealth management specializes in building and strategizing financial plans that optimize how entrepreneurs, self-made millionaires, and wealthy families - spend, save, and share their wealth.

Yes, that includes the all-important here and now, but I also want you to think about the “what’s next” – how can I ensure that I have created a plan to exit.

Whether you want to exit young as Cameron is planning, in order to travel and enjoy the fruits of your labour, or if you want to exit later in life, confident that your eventual exit strategy will provide for your kids and grandkids.

Frankly, those are JUST the type of questions Cameron Herold and I will be answering at my upcoming VIRTUAL event: Double to Sell.

Canada's premier, invitation-only workshop for business owners was originally scheduled for May, but then Covid-19 hit us. Enough said. But, we’ve adapted and regrouped, and decided to take it online!

It’s now happening Nov 4 & 5, and early bird tickets are available from August 10, but don’t delay. Attendance is limited, and regular pricing begins October 12.

This is your opportunity to craft your cash-rich exit strategy with Cameron and a roundtable of your peers.

If you’re a business owner planning to sundown your business within the next 10 years, and want to ensure you have a cash rich exit strategy - you DO NOT want to miss this event.

This is not a blue sky inspirational coaching event :) It’s hard core strategic planning and you leave with your implementation plan and a follow up debrief.

If that sounds lust worthy, we should talk, and/or you should jet over and register.

Hope to see you there!

Colleen

PS: If you’d like to chat through whether the ‘Double to Sell’ workshop with Cameron and myself is truly a fit for you as someone considering a cash rich exit, book a call here.