Stay focused
One of the keys to growth is staying focused on the vision you create and what you do best as a company.
“We need to stay committed to our strategy and not try to be all things to all people, and take our strengths and exploit them effectively,” he says. “It’s better that we tell you we’re unable to address your need than take on something that we can’t handle and isn’t in our scope of the business. We’re very good in businesses we’re in and successful in staying out of the businesses that are not consistent with our strengths.
“There are companies that are successful and have built tremendous brand recognition but blew it by venturing off into some exotic area that’s not within their framework.”
Use your vision to stay focused. It involves continually questioning yourself before you take any action. Ask yourself if the action is consistent with your vision, strategy and value system and if it’s going to move you forward or will eventually move you further away from the strategy.
O’Maley says there are times when you will be tempted to step outside the box and try something new. There have been several times when he has been approached to develop a product for a client, but in the end, it wouldn’t have been consistent with Ohio National’s core strategy.
“If we don’t do it well, we won’t be serving anybody well,” he says.
Mistakes can be made if you try to step outside what you do best and venture down a different road.
“You can’t do everything,” O’Maley says. “What you want to do is do what you know how to do best and do it well. That is part and parcel of focusing on your strategy.”
Having a good vision in place to start with makes it easier to stay focused in the long run.
“When you have a clear, simply stated vision in place, it enables you to stay focused and execute day after day, week after week and year after year,” he says.
