What Is a Business MAP?
A MAP is a Massive Action Plan for your business. It outlines your goals and purposes, is clear about your current challenges, and charts a path toward change so you can achieve massive success. It goes deeper than a business plan because it gets to the heart of what you want to achieve, why your goal matters and the impact you can have on your community.
A map also shows you the road ahead, but it is only effective if you know where you are and where you want to go. If you aren’t honest with yourself about where you currently are in your life or business, or if you try to make things look better (or worse) than they are, then it doesn’t matter how great your map is. Your ability to measure where you are will be wrong, and you won’t end up where you want to be.
How is a MAP Different Than a Business Plan?
Both business plans and Massive Action Plans attempt to make your business more effective. But instead of getting bogged down in the details, a MAP focuses on your goals holistically and keeps your company vision front and center.
Align Processes With Your Vision
Inefficiencies like high employee turnover and poor inventory management can slow your business down and cost you money. By identifying your challenges, a business map enables you to develop solutions that are catered exactly to your needs, goals, and the ultimate vision for your business. This will help you scale your business, increase profits and overcome obstacles more easily.
Increase Flexibility
A business plan is a rigid framework with specific actions. When creating a business MAP, you understand that disruptions and competitors will come along, and you will have to change your approach. Flexibility is key.
“Stay committed to your company vision, but be flexible with your approach.”
As long as you are clear about your vision and where you want to be, you can quickly adjust your processes to new technologies or competitors while continuing to work toward your goals.
Problem Solve Effectively
You can’t solve problems unless you know what they are. The first step in creating a business MAP is to identify your problems. You’ll want to talk to your employees on the front lines to get an idea of any obstacles or bottlenecks they deal with regularly.
By taking a step back and viewing your business as a whole, rather than getting stuck in the weeds of daily management, you will be better equipped to make the right decisions and tackle your challenges.
The Power of Good Questions
As we said earlier, a MAP is only effective if you know where you are and where you want to go. That’s where the power of questions comes into play.
“The primary questions you ask in your business, your relationship and your health will determine your outcomes far greater than any goal.”
Questions can also pre-suppose an answer. The questions “Why can’t I lose weight?” or “Why doesn’t anyone seem to like me?” include a pre-supposition or an assumption that you can’t lose weight or that people don’t like you. Like a computer program, your brain will look for answers to the questions you pose. You will begin to think of all the reasons that your weight loss plan is failing and all the character traits that make you unlikable. These negative thoughts just drag you down and hinder your progress.
On the other hand, a question such as “What daily habit can I implement to improve my personal health?” pre-supposes that improving your health is an attainable goal that you are capable of achieving. Asking the right questions is empowering. Instead of asking why you are unlikable, ask yourself what characteristics you admire in your friends and how you can implement those traits in your own life.
The questions you ask yourself are the filters through which you view the world. Good questions not only have the power to shape your personal life, they shape your business outcomes as well. When you ask the right questions, you can hack your brain and jump-start success.
Instead of asking yourself, “Why is my business plan failing?” and coming up with a long list of things you are doing wrong, ask yourself, “What is my ultimate goal, and what steps can I take to get there?”
Right away, you will start to come up with a long list of empowered ideas for moving toward your goal. Ask yourself the leading questions that will point you to success.
Ask These Questions to Create the Backbone of Your Business MAP
Good questions are the scaffolding that supports a solid business strategy. Start by asking yourself the following questions, and be honest with your answers.
What Do I Really Want?
The first question lets you identify where you are going. What is the outcome you would like to see? What result are you committed to achieving? The more specific you are with your answer, the more powerful the goal will be.
Why Do I Want to Do This?
What is the why behind your what? What is the real purpose driving your business goals? When our why is about something bigger than ourselves we see the greatest resolve. This question gives meaning to your goals and acts as your true north when things get tough. Having a compelling purpose will be the fuel you need when motivation gives out. It’s what drives people to wake up early and go to bed late to achieve their goals. Having a compelling why turns your wants into MUSTS.
What Specific Actions Do I Need to Take to Achieve This?
Here is where you really flesh out your MAP. What specific steps can you take to achieve your goal? Be prepared to ask yourself this question repeatedly and adjust your plans as needed while staying focused on your what and your why. You may not need to complete every action item to get your result, but listing them out on your MAP is what weatherproofs your business for any economic climate.
Bonus Question: What Business Am I Really In?
When you are creating your business plan, you want to ask yourself what business you are in, and then look closer and be honest about what business you are really in.
You might say that Starbucks is in the coffee business. However, founder Howard Shultz wisely realized that Starbucks was actually in the business of creating an experience and a meeting place between home and work.
Knowing the business you are really in drives innovation as well as success. Because Starbucks was focused on providing an experience instead of just coffee, they were open to expanding their offerings to include teas, Refreshers, bakery goods, smoothies and breakfast foods. The portion of their revenue coming from products beside coffee is growing exponentially, propelling their growth and financial success.
Don’t get so focused on your product—even if it is a product you love—that you lose sight of your customers and the real benefits you’re giving them. When you are laser-focused on providing value to your customers, you can define your purpose more clearly and guide innovation as your company grows and the world changes.
Executive Coaching Can Help You Ask the Right Questions
When running a business, it can be hard to look past day-to-day management and see the big picture. That’s where business coaching and mentoring can really help.
A business coach will ask the right questions so you can unearth your purpose, vision, challenges and steps to achieve your goals. A coach will also help you identify the limiting beliefs that are holding you back.
