I've built my cleaning company for 16 years solo and have operated under my own set of personal core values. I've communicated them in my marketing system and they have earned me better, higher paying clients that stay with me a long time. However, I've never had to document them or communicate them to a team. My coach, Josh Melton, has been driving this point home recently. He recommended that I re-read the book, "Traction" by Gino Wickman and complete the EOS® VisionTraction Organizer or the VTO. This process is so helpful because it forces me to extract my most inner and core beliefs about me and my company and share them in my vision. I have never done this before. It was scary at first. But now, it energizes me and that's a true tell if my foundation is right. I should be able to communicate my mission, vision, and values. Before I dive in, let me give thanks where thanks is due. I've already mentioned Josh. Josh, if you're listening... thank you! I want to also thank Kevin Smith of Grace Home Cleaning in Omaha, NE. Check out my interview with Kevin called, "It's Grace for a Reason". Kevin shares his mission and vision in this interview and it truly inspired me. I shared the exact one, just didn't know how to communicate it. Thank you Kevin for being so real and transparent about your relationship with God and He leads your company. 

Let's return to a previous episode, "We All Need a Coach". I read a portion of scripture from the Book of Matthew called "The Parable of the Talents". I'll paraphrase. The master gives 5 talents to one servant, 2 to another, and 1 to the other. One talent or a talent of silver from biblical times was worth around 6,000 denarii and a denarii was referenced in the bible as a day's wages. Therefore, a single talent could be worth as much as 6,000 days of labor. If the average worker works 22 days per month, it would take him 22 years to earn a talent. I've also seen commentary where a talent was approximately a year's salary at that time. Whatever the answer, a talent is a significant amount of money. The one given 5 talents trades and accumulates 5 more. He is highly commended by the master as a good and faithful servant or steward. The one given 2 did likewise and accumulated 2 more. The master was happy again. The third servant hid his 1 talent in the ground out of fear and gave it back to his master. The master was furious and delivered him to extreme punishment and he gave his talent to the one with 10. This parable really speaks to me. I don't relate to the 3rd servant. I desire to be like the 5 talent servant. He believed that the Master owned it all and he wanted to do his best to multiply His talents. This is called Stewardship. Just like my friend Kevin and the 2 and 5 talent servants, I believe that God owns it all. I believe that He owns my cleaning business. My job as a steward is manage it well for Him. The question I asked myself was this. "Ken, how well do you want to manage it?" The answer was quick and short. I want to manage it like the first servant. He started with 5 of God's talents and ended with 11! That's amazing! God still owns the 11, but the servant was just elevated big time. This became my new life and business mission statement.

Read the rest of this article at the Smart Cleaning School website