Why values-led businesses maybe misleading their strategic direction.
When talking strategy in business, regardless of a business’ size, it's an unknown red flag when a business refers to their strategic direction being led by their values (aka they're a values-led business). At the risk and hope of being cancelled for a new view on this topic, Kathy Rast from LLM* points to a point or two to consider in working with both a Business Vision and Business Values — as both have different complementary parts to play in the business Big Picture.
Author's Note: "It may be fun to know that the article planned was going to be one of those, visions are for business direction and values are for the experience in achieving the business direction. However, unintentionally I adapted a common quote to illustrate a point and immediately noticed a new, to me, pathway to get where we're going here...it's forever a wondrous thing not knowing everything and knowing a know of when to take the new path.")
A Common Confusion
In a workshop recently, I was sitting among fellow business owners engaging with the topic being delivered. As with most workshops on business development, it was silently assumed that each participant was both able to learn the new (or known) material and have the capability and capacity to adapt and apply it to their own business.
To support my own knowledge connection prior to adoption and adaptation in my own business, I asked a question aloud that I often ask to open an opportunity for a consideration of a connection I may or may not know yet. I asked...
"For your business or working with your clients, how do you ensure the (topic) design works with the strategic direction? Specifically, how do you draw a line-of-sight between the (topic) design and the business vision and mission?"
It's important to notice that I specifically said vision and mission and yet (as often happens when you know now to listen for it) the response made a direct line to values being the deciding factor to connect to the business direction and decisions.
A Practical Purpose
The interchanging of Business Values and a Business Vision is often (to the point of almost always) common when talking business strategy and strategic direction. However, whilst they do both sit at the relatively stable layer one of business, they each have very different complementary parts to play in all layers of business.
To consider a new view and be kind-to-the-mind, it's helpful to paint a picture on a parallel path. Which just means it's easier for the mind to loosen the grip on what we know to consider what we don't know we don't know by looking indirectly at something through our language (e.g., analogy, metaphor, device).
Specifically in this instance, understanding the role and relationship of a Business Vision and Business Values.
So, for fun, let's use a common quote as a device to layer our language onto and see where it can lead us.
'It's about the journey, not the destination.'
Now, to begin using this common quote as a sense making device let's overlay the idea of a business being values-led...
'It's about the values, not the vision.'
👓 Language Note: For some, this will feel so right, while for others, this will tickle in the worst ways. That sense of right and tickle are an indicator to give insight into your go-to thinking focus. For now, just note if you feel a tickle or right and know that we will circle back for you to know more by the end of this article.
A Layered Lens
Okay now, let's zoom out and look at the context before focus in further on what it could mean. The use of Business Visions and Business Values stem from the structures constructed by large organisations and businesses designed to meet the need to bring together many moving parts to achieve a shared focus (a Business Vision).
Over time, solo businesses have connected with the benefits these constructs add and have adopted them in the solo business structure to achieve the same.
However, part of the problem with adopting large organisations and businesses (LOB) constructs in solo businesses is that they're rarely a turnkey solution — there still needs to be some adaptation, specifically in the application.
In this context, we will lightly look at the significant difference in application of the Business Vision between LOBs and solo businesses are the Business Roles.
In LOBs, each role is typically performed by an individual, often in a team assigned to a branch or segment of the organisation, where each individual has a specific scope and defined reach of contribution to the business Big Picture. Whereas in solo businesses, most (if not all) roles are performed by the same human, where by each task directly contributes to most, if not all, areas of the business.
👓 Language Note: There is benefit in saying an assumption aloud to focus the focus front of mind in the current context. It's this single step that makes it more malleable and ready to be adapted.
A Quick Collection + Calibration
Before we move forward, a quick some of what's moving forward with us:
+ Using Business Values as the strategic direction (aka Values-Led Businesses) is a new red flag know to listen for.
+ It’s possible for business to be led by a vision and not values.
+ A Business Vision and Business Values each have different complementary parts to play in all layers of business.
+ The application of a Business Vision and Business Values is yet to be adapted and the benefits really realised in the context of solo business.
+ In LOBs a Business Vision is performed by a single person leading others, whereas in solo business, a Business Vision is performed by the same human it's leading.
Okay, now with these collected points, we can calibrate and agree to proceed together.
A Viewing View
Now, looking at the idea of who's performing and who's being led (Business Roles), a big blocker for solo businesses is that it's assumed the same human will do everything and it's not yet commonly known that while this is true, it's important to be able to do the everything from different views.
As a Language-In-Use Consultant, it's up to me to understand what someone knows and believes by looking (listening) through the lens of their conscious and unconscious language. In this context, it's up to me to recognise the view (focus) Business Owner is seeing something (e.g., a business decision).
For instance, I'm looking to listen for detailed detail or clear ambiguity to reveal if they're naturally drawn to one of two focuses, namely Strategic Direction (layer two) or Delivery (layer three). Like a Business Vision and Business Values, each focus has a critical and different complementary part to play in the Big Picture (layer one).
The Role of Roles
Let's zoom back out and inch or two. The idea of defining standard roles in an solo business role grew from the repeated need in conversations to support clarity from confusion which is both common to LOBs and solo businesses:
Role Ambiguity
Roles are more about the labels and continue to move away from the specified scope of tasks connected and performed in the Big Picture and Strategy and are more closely aligned designed to get closer to the resources that role typically has access to (e.g., tasks, resources, relationships, entitlements, status...).
Role Overstepping
There have always been, and will always be, tasks people enjoy and don't enjoy. Often unknowingly, the tasks someone enjoys will slip into someone's ‘To-Do List’ at the cost of an already assigned task, which may or may not also be intercepting the task assigned to another role (and/or person).
This is not the time and place to unpack these topics in the context of LOBs, however, it is the place to note these experiences as they extend into the space of the a solo business.
Linear Not Hierarchal
Again, we zoom out a little further for a moment, to note the necessity of hierarchal structures for LOBs to then assess the fit for a solo business.
Specifically, the stacking of layers in a LOB hierarchal structure allows the assigning and accessing of resources across the structure for the purpose of working towards achieving the shared focus (Business Vision).
It's the role of each layer to know where they are relative to each other and their contribution in achieving the Business Vision together. These layers are supported with the required (not desired) access to relationships and resources for sustainability in the system.
Yes, you're right, it's sounds clinical and kinda cold. However, the cold clinical that’s typically known as corporate needs the clarity of the clean and crisp lines between its parts to truly be connected and contributing in sync within the system.
When it works well, oooooo, the hummmmmm of harmony is a beautiful note to notice.
Now adopting the same hierarchal structure in solo businesses, it's not practical as is.
Instead, it’s more workable to take parts of this construct and line it up in a different way to work with different relationships and resources.
Specifically shifting the simultaneous action of multiple people in a LOB to the single action of a single human in a solo business. And for further ease, because a solo business has finite resources, we can go ahead and design the design to have no incline and instead we go with a simple linear line.
Image: LLM* Standardised Solo Business Structure
The Unexpected
As mentioned, this article was initially designed to bring to the awareness that there’s a red flag when business strategic direction is led by values alone.
Further, we‘ve layered layers to begin to build the differentiation of the parts played by a Business Vision (direction) and Business Values (journey).
And, as with all real change, it's when we're open and curious to not truly know what we don't know that we can find anew within our current view ... this is where we can forever enjoy the joy of that feeling of realising in real time the planned plan can change by listening to an unintentional utterance.
👓 Language Note: Looking through the lens of language it's now possible and practical to recognise if a business's strategic direction is being led by their values or a vision. And a new knowing that this is often unintentionally decided by the go-to view of the solo business human. With this knowing it's now practical to really realise the potential of the same human successfully and sustainably performing different Business Roles.
Circling Back To Move Forward
Let's circle back to our point of deviation from the planned plan to sense check the sense made since then.
Again, let's bring that common quote quoted front of mind, 'It's about the journey, not the destination' and let’s now overlay the views two Business Roles...
As the Business Owner you would frame your focus as,
'It's about the vision, not the values'
Whereas, as the Deliverer you would frame your focus as,
'It's about the values, not the vision.'
It’s now time to notice which of these two (right) quotes draws you in. Which fills you up with delight and the light that is now burning bright. Which one opens up the space of a closed moment and feels like a new layer has been unlock.
Remember, both are right.
And, if this is true for you, notice the one you aren’t naturally drawn to or want to be drawn to. It make tickle or it may not make sense how it could be right (yet).
Remember, both are right.
The important part for you as a(n assumed) solo business owner is to first learn your go-to thinking view and then to grow your thinking views across the landscape that is your solo business structure.
If the idea of learning and working with your solo business structure and strategic direction has you wondering what it can mean for you, then you're invited click the button below to learn a little more and to ask to begin the conversation with Kathy.
