Episode #12

CATEGORIES: Podcast

Creating A Strategic Plan For Your Business Is Key to Its Success, with guest Chris Oakley

If you’re looking at creating a strategic plan for your business, you’re taking the needed steps towards success. Is strategic planning a concept you are familiar with? Do you need direction on how to get started? Listen to this episode of Franchise Secrets as we discuss the value of relationships and the two things you must prioritize in strategy development while also designing the life you desire.

Chris Oakley is my guest for this episode and is a wealth of knowledge in the coaching industry. He has over 5 years of experience working at Dave Ramsey as an All Access Business Coach and a background in a wide range of businesses. Now the owner of his own coaching firm, his personal mission is to help Christian business owners win in the marketplace and help them leverage their influence and resources for Kingdom impact.

Outline of This Episode

  • [1:27] Chris Oakley’s Origin story
  • [3:14] The implicit value of relationships
  • [6:25] What high-level coaching looks like
  • [13:05] The two questions to ask
  • [16:30] Accountability is key
  • [20:45] Design the life you want

Creating a strategic plan starts by developing a mission statement

When you begin working with a high-level coach, one of the first things you’ll work on developing—if you haven’t yet—is your mission statement. This doesn’t just apply to your business. On a personal level, you have a limited amount of time to make an impact on the world. So we talk about really honing in on your personal mission statement and then letting that drive your goals for your business.

Then you take that mission, develop it, and focus on setting up a rhythm of execution. Strategic planning is all about choosing a direction and what you specific things you are going to invest your time in. A coach can really help you prioritize the steps you need to take, guide you through those steps, and help you choose how to execute them. It’s a never-ending process of learning and growing. Keep listening as we discuss this concept.

The two questions that should drive your strategic development

Question #1: At the end of your life, what do you want to be known for? While this is more of a personal development note, Chris truly believes that knowing the impact you want your life to have will drive how you want to run your business. The relationships you value, what you prioritize, and the practices you build your business on are all impacted by who you are. What legacy do you want to leave?

Question #2: A year from now, where do you want to be? A good coach needs a target of where you want to take your business. Industries are constantly shifting, and while it’s important to plan ahead, you can’t look too far into the future. If you narrow down where you want your business to be in 365 days, it lays the groundwork for what to prioritize. Chris and I continue to cover how to prioritize things quarterly and how to know what to focus on.

Social pressure can be the “Secret Sauce” to accountability

Creating a strategic plan can only get you so far—you actually have to take your plan and implement it. And all the planning in the world gets you nowhere if you don’t execute it. Ideally, you’ll have a coach in place to meet with weekly to cover goals and execution. But what do you do if a business coach isn’t a tool you have in place?

Focus on accountability

And you know what? Making your goals public can be the “secret sauce” to your success. It’s a lot harder to fail when you know the world is watching, and for some, it can be a huge motivator to succeed. Whatever route you take, you need someone to keep you accountable and help you reach your goals. It’s all about removing excuses and executing your plan.

Creating a strategy helps you design the life you desire

So you’ve got a strategy in place for the growth of your business, you’ve laid out what you’re prioritizing, and you’ve got accountability in place. As you build a rhythm of execution, you’ll begin to notice wins. You’ll experience ups and downs. The important thing to remember is that you’re building consistency, and with consistency change begins to happen.

You’re now strategically building your business and should see significant change. Ultimately, Chris points out that strategic planning allows us to design the life we want. You’re no longer just letting life happen. You want to build a legacy and make an impact, and that starts with creating a strategic plan and a focus on what really matters.

Resources & People Mentioned

Connect with Chris

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