By analogy with combat readiness, business readiness is the state of being aware of, capable of, and fully prepared to exploit to changes, maximize opportunities, and minimize risks in order to achieve a company or business unit’s mission, vision, and objectives.Business readiness requires an offensive mindset in order to seize and maintain the initiative, as well as the strategic, operational, and tactical leadership to influence others in the achievement of the mission.

1. Do you have a clear and precise mission and vision for your organization?
2. Have these been well communicated to your management team? Has the team understood and implemented them?
3. Is your business strategy offensively oriented, or is it overly defensive with you frequently reacting to your competitors’ moves?
4. Do you have a good understanding of your strategic, operational, and tactical environments? Do your management team and employees have the same good understanding?
5. How is morale in your organization? Note: Morale is not the same as whether or not employees are happy with the company or in a good mood. It is whether they are willing to fight to win.
6. Are you entirely confident in your management team, and its capacity to translate strategy into concrete actions and results?
7. Do you have a well-articulated operating strategy that has been translated into operating plans for finance, production, marketing, communications, sales, research and development, human resources, etc.?
8. Do you have a succession plan to develop the next generation of leaders?
9. Do all your leaders have a “second-in-command” who can take over at a moment’s notice?

Richard Martin is The Force Multiplier. He brings his military and business leadership and management experience to bear for executives and organizations seeking to radically improve performance, grow, and thrive in the face of rapid change, harsh competition, and increasing uncertainty.

© 2015 Richard Martin. Reproduction and quotes are permitted with proper attribution.

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