As business advisors, we are more effective when we provide our clients tools that help them:
Remember a specific concept
Apply something they have learned
Drive home ideas
Keep critical easy to find
In the X-Ray process there are several tools I’ve used – some are new, some not so new – but all of them serve a purpose.
The X-Ray Map
The goal behind the Map is to provide a Visual Reminder. That reminder includes the top five initiatives that you helped them uncover during the X-Ray process, their Builder/Protector Ratio, a quick look at their strengths, the top challenges for their current stage of growth, a previous stage of growth and the next stage of growth. It also provides the CEO with a reminder of how he/she perceived the ‘hidden agents’ in their company at the time of the X-Ray and a summary of the participants’ scores on all the Non-negotiable rules. That’s a lot of critical information now captured in one neat visual reminder that a CEO and his/her team can refer to often.
I usually complete the Map the night before my X-Ray because I have everything I need, except the initiatives, to complete it. I turn it facing a wall until I’m ready to go over it towards the end of the X-Ray. During one of their breaks, I fill in the five top initiatives. The goal of showing it and sharing it with the participants is simple. It reinforces the language of growth. It reinforces the concepts talked about. It reinforces their current stage of growth and where they are on their growth curve.
The Growth Curve. That yellow line that curves up from the bottom left side of the map to the upper right side of the map. I use this visual to show a company being AHEAD of their Growth Curve or BEHIND their Growth Curve. Here’s how I calculate that:
Add up the Average Score for ALL of the non-negotiable rules and find the percentage on the map, and where that percentage lands on the Growth Curve, place a DOT. Then find the number of employees the company has today at the top of the map and where that number intersects with the Growth Curve, place another DOT. IF the DOTS collide, land exactly at the same spot, the company is operating within its growth curve. IF the Percentage DOT is ABOVE the DOT that shows the number of employees, they are AHEAD of their growth curve. However, if the Percentage DOT is BELOW the DOT that shows the number of employees, they are BEHIND their growth curve. The goal is to help a company improve on the completion rate for those non-negotiable rules to stay in line with their growth.
Nothing scientific here. Just a fun visual reminder that the company may need to improve on those NNRS.
The CEO Insight Summary Worksheet©
On the membership site, you’ll find this under the Resources Tab, under the Stages of Growth X-Ray Tab, under the Subhead called CEO Insight Summary Worksheet.
http://www.gcspecialists.com/member-dashboard
I use this during my meeting with the CEO the day or night before the X-Ray. During this two-hour meeting, I share with the CEO the results of the assessments – not in great detail – but enough to calm their fears about ‘what did everyone say’. I don’t want my CEO to be surprised. During this meeting I also take them through the worksheet to better understand where they have come from and to engage them in conversations about the language of growth and the hidden agents. I want them to think through how they perceive their company as it relates to the 3 Gates of Focus, the 3 Faces of a Leader, Leadership Modality and the Builder/Protector Ratio. This may be the first time he/she has been introduced to these concepts and it helps them get a better idea about the value of the 7 Stages of Growth. The results from this exercise also populate the Map.
The Growth Curve Navigator©
On the membership site, you’ll find this under the Resources Tab, under the Stages of Growth X-Ray Tab, under the Subhead called Growth Curve Navigator. Select your GCN based on the stage of growth of your company.
http://www.gcspecialists.com/member-dashboard
This is a tool I only created a year ago and I did it because I wanted each individual in the X-Ray to be able to take away something that captured the initiatives, the NNRs and other critical information from the experience. The Map is great, but the Growth Curve Navigator provides each person with their own reminder about what the process was all about. What I like about this tool, is once you have identified the top five initiatives, you ask the group which Challenge (of their top five Challenges) would go away if they addressed that initiative. It’s a great opportunity to show the link between their top five challenges and the work they did during the X-Ray process to solve those challenges. I think you’ll find this worksheet helpful and self-explanatory once you check it out.
How to Deliver an X-Ray
Thought I’d just remind you about the tools I have on the membership site to help you deliver an X-Ray. Under the X-Ray Videos tab on the Membership Site, called How to Deliver a Stages of Growth X-Ray, you’ll find 10 videos where I walk you through the steps to deliver an X-Ray. Each one has me on screen explaining all the different aspects of the process and sharing with you the tools you need.
http://www.gcspecialists.com/member-dashboard
Even if you aren’t ready to deliver your first X-Ray, I’d recommend you listen to these videos. When you are confident about how valuable this process is, and you are confident in how to deliver it, you will be more confident in selling it!
Remember, tools help our clients remember concepts and as with the X-Ray, uncover issues themselves making that discovery process extremely valuable.
Your success. My passion.
Laurie Taylor, FlashPoint!
P.S. Have you purchased my Flash Sheets by FlashPoint! yet? Truly the ONLY place you’ll find all the concepts of the 7 Stages of Growth in one convenient package. I know the value of understanding the Three Gates of Focus and all of the Hidden Agents. When you are confident in explaining these concepts to a CEO, I believe your ability to help a CEO increase profitability, productivity and performance improves – which is very good for your own bottom line, right? Go here and check it out:
