Systems Development and Your Definite Chief Aim

If you were looking for a new job, you would likely ask your potential employers a number of questions relating to salary, benefits, insurance, holidays, vacation, etc. You would want to know what you could expect in terms of compensation and career opportunities. Have you ever asked your current employer about those issues? Have you ever asked yourself these questions? 

A business is a tool—a tool to help us experience the kind of life we wish to have. Our business can provide us wealth, or independence, or leisure time, or many other things. Our business is an unlimited opportunity. It can provide us with nearly anything we reasonably desire. 

Every tool has a specific purpose, and when used properly it can help us accomplish significant things. However, when used improperly, a tool can create serious damage or destruction. Unlike most tools, we get to choose what kind of tool our business will be. We can use our business for our purpose. That purpose is our Definite Chief Aim*. 

Unfortunately, many people start their business without ever clearly identifying what they want from the business. “Far too many business owners spend their entire careers not understanding the power of developing a Definite Chief Aim to guide and measure their personal and business goals,” says Mark Havens, President of the National Alliance of Professional Painters. 

Business owners might have some vague thoughts about money, or independence, or something similar. But few identify and document where they want their business to take them. “Until a business owner has a crystal clear idea of what his or her business can provide them personally, they are merely working a job,” says Havens. 

The key is to identify where you want your business to take you—what kind of tool your business will be. This is not an issue to take lightly or answer impulsively.  Ask yourself these questions:

• Why do I want to own my business?
• Why am I willing to work so hard and take on so many responsibilities?
• What do I hope to gain by investing my time and money into a business of my own?

Your answer will ultimately determine what actions you must take and what kind of business you will have. Your answers will determine what systems you must develop for your business. Few people would start a cross country road trip without a map and a plan. Yet a business is a far more complex endeavor. Before you begin that journey you should have a clear vision of your destination. Only then can you begin creating a plan to make that dream a reality. 

*From the In-Gear Business Management Seriesä, Ó 2005-2007