Articles—Issue 7, February 2006 Back to Article Index You may feel a little pressure here: The Annual Checkup As an executive with many responsibilities it is easy to get caught up in the details of your business and overlook the big picture. A friend of mine used to say, “You need to stay on your business, not in your business.”   This challenge is compounded by the natural instinct to gravitate toward the things that you like to do and avoid the tough issues. I don’t care how type-A and assertive you are; everyone has issues that they avoid and they correspond to your weaknesses.   Here is a solution. Shut your door (or better yet get out of the office), turn off your cell phone and anything else that buzzes, beeps and interrupts your ability to focus and answer the questions below.                                                                                                                                      In Control Needs Work Are you growing revenue at an acceptable level? Is net profit at an acceptable level? Is your Return on Assets at an acceptable level? Is your debt/equity at an optimal level? Do you know which customers and products are most profitable (including overhead)? Can you clearly articulate your strategy? Can everyone in your organization articulate your strategy? Do the key indicators that you review periodically drive your business? Is your key discipline identified (operational excellence, customer intimacy, product excellence)? Are key strategies broken down to supporting projects and action plans? Did you have a high level of achievement in the execution of previous plans? Do you have the right key staff in place? Are your people accountable for their performance? Does your compensation/reward system drive the correct behavior? Does your service quality measurement system indicate high levels of customer satisfaction? Do you have alignment around company values? Do you have an exit strategy? Do you have good management process in place for your key activities? Is morale at a good level? If you took an extended vacation would the business run well? Are you having fun? (c)2006 by Tood Ordal. You are welcome to share this informational article with others. Todd Ordal is a business consultant helping executives struggling with execution. Prior to founding the consulting firm Applied Strategy LLC, Todd spent over 25 years in management and executive roles such as President and CEO. You can contact Todd at todd@appliedstrategy.info