29
10 STEPS TO MAXIMISE YOUR BUSINESS POTENTIAL

10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

  • Upload
    others

  • View
    1

  • Download
    0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

10 STEPS TO MAXIMISE YOUR

BUSINESS POTENTIAL

Page 2: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

2

Introduction

1. Unwavering Values

2. Compelling Purpose

3. Big Goal

4. Vivid Picture

5. Overarching Mission

6. Key Strategy

7. Precise Mantra

8. Personal Manifesto

9. Durable Vision

10. Effective Communication

6

11

13

15

17

18

19

21

22

23

CONTENTS

2

Page 3: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

A calculated vision helps you clarify the

purpose of your business. Without it,

you run the risk of losing sight of the

direction your business is heading in to

achieve your goals.

Just imagine you’re riding a bike – more

than likely, the destination that you set

your eyes on is the very direction that

your bike will naturally head towards!

Or consider the vision a football team

requires to achieve collective success.

Each individual player is unified on the

field because they share the same vision

of kicking the ball between the goal

posts. But imagine if the players didn’t

have the knowledge that the goal posts

held the key to their vision - it would be

near impossible to achieve a winning

score collectively!

I wrote this eBook with the purpose

of equipping you with the tools and

inspiration to develop a healthy vision for

your business. While I’m still on a journey

myself, in my experience this objective is

often easier said than done and can even

take many months to accomplish.

Why?

Because developing this vision is largely

a process of discovery. It requires self-

analysing, deep thought and evaluation

- but I can guarantee that it’s well worth

the effort. I’d implore every business

owner to go through this process and

explore the gems contained in the

following pages, as developing a unique

vision for your own business is often

more vital than many people realise.

INTRODUCTION

3

Page 4: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

4

I’d like to start this exciting process with

a question:

‘What would it be like if over the coming

months, I discovered a new level of vision

that inspires me like never before and

empowers me to build a much more

successful, healthy and meaningful

business?’

I’m not talking about an ordinary

business – I’m talking about a business

that is beneficial for everyone that comes

into contact with it – your family; your

team; your customers. Please don’t read

any further until you’ve taken a few

moments to think about your answer to

this question.

Now, let me ask you another question:

‘What would business look like if

everyone developed their vision in such

a way that it caused them to build much

healthier businesses that contributed to

other people?’

At Waterman, we actively recognise

the benefit that developing a healthy

vision has had on our business and

we’re grounded in knowing we’re all

on the same team, headed toward the

same goal. Our vision has sharpened

our collective focus, enabled us to

make decisions which align with our

desired direction, provided clarity to our

work, strengthened our resolve when

challenges arise and has made sure to

attract the right staff and customers to

our business who are just as passionate

as we are.

Of course, we certainly aren’t alone

in advocating the importance of a

healthy vision. Many of the world’s most

notable business leaders testify to the

significance of a healthy business vision,

which is something we’ll explore further

in the pages to come.

You’ll also notice that this eBook

comprises of plenty of probing questions

that will get your mind ticking and guide

you as you progress along this journey.

Page 5: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

5

love it, I really do and I count it a most

wonderful privilege to serve you and

your business along the way.

To what could be!

Again, please don’t read on until you’ve

pictured what this business world would

look like.

I promise this is the last question, but

could I ask you:

‘What would it be like if thousands and

thousands of business men and women

right across your city truly created a

healthy business vision, championed

it, and inspired other businesses to do

better and be better?’

Stir your mind and think about the

prospective effect on the economy, our

city and the many hundreds of thousands

of families who call it home.

I trust that these thoughts do something

to your heart, as they do mine.

The potential of what a healthy business

vision can do greatly inspires me - not

only because of the great collective good

that can be accomplished, but because

it feels like a special adventure that I get

to go on with a bunch of friends. I just

Neville Waterman

Neville Waterman is the founder of Waterman

Business Centres and takes an active role in

leading his company toward their unified goal

on a daily basis. Waterman offers workspace

solutions in the form of serviced offices and

vibrant coworking areas for small businesses in

Melbourne. His vision to transform the landscape

of small business across Australia and to create

5000 thriving business is enthusiastically shared

by his whole team and together they are making a

difference for the better!

Page 6: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

6

Let’s begin by first seeking to understand

your personal core values. Those

ideals, standards and beliefs that define

who you are and what you stand for.

Q1. Go through the following list and note any values that resonate with you.

Accountability - Being answerable for

your actions

Achievement - Accomplishing a task or

goal that you have set for yourself

Adventure - An exciting undertaking that

creates a new experience and usually

involves risk

Authenticity - Being genuine and real

Balance - Living a well-rounded life

Benevolence - The desire to do good to

others

‘A leader will find it difficult to articulate a coherent vision unless it expresses his core values, his basic identity. One must first embark on the formidable journey of self-discovery in order to create a vision with authentic soul.’- Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

1. UNWAVERING VALUES

Page 7: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

7

Caring - Helpfulness, compassion and

kindness

Carefulness - Being thorough and

cautious in your actions

Challenge - A difficulty in a job or

undertaking that is stimulating to the

one engaged in it

Collaboration - Working together to

produce a better outcome

Commitment - A solemn undertaking to

perform the task

Communication - The effective sharing

of thoughts, opinions and information

Community - A connected group of

people who share a common objective

Competence - Possessing the required

skill, knowledge and capacity

Concern for Others - Taking genuine

interest in people’s welfare

Courage - The quality of mind or spirit

that enables a person to face difficulty,

danger or pain

Contentment - A sense of satisfaction

with what you have

Consistency - A regular routine lifestyle

that you are familiar and comfortable

with

Creativity - Creating meaningful new

ideas, methods and progressive ways of

doing business

Decisiveness - The ability to make

difficult decisions and follow through

with them

Diligence - Constant, earnest and

careful effort to accomplish what you’ve

undertaken

Direction - Having a clear direction of

where you are heading

Discipline - Commitment to a controlled

and ordered lifestyle

Duty - Fulfilling your obligation to serve

those you feel you should

Education - Acquiring relevant

knowledge through education

Efficiency - Accomplishing objectives

with the least amount of waste and effort

Equality - Classlessness and impartiality

Excellence - The highest standard of

performance

Extravagance - Having an abundance of

luxuries and experiences

Fairness - Equality and justice in

everything that you do

Faith - A set of strongly held beliefs and

principles that guide your lifestyle

Faithfulness - Being true to your word,

reliable and loyal

Freedom - The freedom to live your life

as you choose

Flexibility - Being able to deal with

sudden or unplanned changes to your

situation or goals

Forgiving - Not holding resentment

Page 8: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

8

Frugality - Living a humble lifestyle and

enjoying simple pleasures

Gentleness - Not rough, harsh or violent

but being of affable nature

Giving - Giving to others without

expecting something in return

Gratitude - Being sincerely appreciative

Growth - Gradually moving towards a

particular goal

Happiness - Being comfortable and

content with your state of life

Honesty - Truthfulness, sincerity and

frankness

Humility - Not proud or arrogant but

possessing a modest opinion of ones

importance

Improvement - Continually increasing

your effectiveness

Independence - Freedom from the

control or reliance on others

Innovation - Introducing new things and

making positive changes

Integrity - Adhering to moral and ethical

principles

Job Satisfaction - Enjoying your work,

and succeeding in your chosen profession

Joy - A deep sense of happiness and glad

feeling

Knowledge - Increasing your

understanding of relevant information,

facts and principles

Love - A kind tender-heartedness that

always does what’s best for the other

person

Making a Difference - Doing something

that contributes to a positive change in

others

Mercy - The disposition to be

compassionate or forbearing

Money - Managing your finances well

so that you can make the most of

opportunities

Order - A system or routine that creates

harmonious arrangement and structure

Patience - Being even tempered, quietly

persevering and bearing provocation

when irritated

Peace - Being in a state of tranquillity or

serenity

Perseverance - Being steadily

persistent to the task at hand in spite of

circumstances

Philanthropy - Contributing to

benevolent causes to improve humanity

Providing for Loved Ones - Doing all you

can to provide what is needed for those

you love

Punctuality - The habit of being on time

Relationship - Strong connections with

others

Relaxation - Regular relaxation that

provides relief from tension and work

Page 9: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

9

As you do this, once again review the

authenticity of these values by asking

yourself, ‘Would I still hold onto this

value if it cost me money or gave me a

competitive disadvantage?’

Q2. Now go through the values that resonated with you and choose five to seven of the most important. As you do ask yourself this question, ‘Would I still hold onto this value even if it cost me money?’

Q3. With these core, personal values in mind and using the followingcorporate examples, define your business values.

Righteousness - Living a just, moral and

virtuous life

Security - Freedom from cares, anxiety

and danger

Simplicity - Freedom from unnecessary

and burdening complexities

Stability - Continuity, steadfastness and

an absence of unpredictability

Success - Being effective in your

endeavours

Supportiveness - Providing active

support and encouragement to those

around me

Transparency - Being open, clear without

secret agendas

Teamwork - Cooperating together as a

collective group

Trustworthiness - Being responsible,

dependable and reliable

Unity - Oneness of mind and feeling,

harmony and agreement

Variety - Diversity and change

Wisdom - The knowledge of what is true

or right coupled with discerning action

Page 10: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

10

CORE VALUESOF SUCCESSFULCOMPANIES

GOOGLE

1. Focus on the user and all else will follow.

2. It’s best to do one thing really, really well.

3. Fast is better than slow.

4. Democracy on the web works.

5. You don’t need to be at your desk to need an answer.

6. You can make money without doing evil.

7. There’s always more information out there.

8. The need for information crosses all borders.

9. You can be serious without a suit.

10. Great just isn’t good

enough.

WALT DISNEY

1. Live Healthier

2. Strengthen Communities

3. Conserve Nature

4. Think Creatively

5. Ethical Conduct

6. Responsible Content

7. Environmental Stewardship

8. Civic Engagement

9. Respectful Workplaces

10. Responsible Supply Chain

McDONALD’S

1. We give back to our

communities

2. We grow our business

profitably

3. We believe in the Macca’s

System

4. We strive continually to

improve

5. We operate our business

ethically

6. We place the customer

experience at the core of

all we do

Page 11: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

Your core purpose is the reason your

business exists. A compelling purpose

is a core purpose that’s firmly focused

on others and reflects the passionate

motivation of those who do the

company’s work.

Your compelling purpose (which would

still be relevant in 100 years) must not

be confused with goals, strategies or

competencies (which can change often).

In fact, you cannot ultimately fulfil your

purpose because it continues on.

In 1960 Co-founder of Hewlett Packard,

David Packard, outlined the purpose of

his company’s existence beyond making

money in a speech to his employees.

Packard said,

‘I want to discuss why a company exists

in the first place. In other words, why are

we here? I think many people assume,

wrongly, that a company exists simply to

make money. While this is an important

result of a company’s existence, we have

to go deeper and find the real reasons

for our being. As we investigate this, we

inevitably come to the conclusion that a

group of people get together and exist

as an institution that we call a company

so that they are able to accomplish

something collectively that they could

not accomplish separately—they make

a contribution to society, a phrase

which sounds trite but is fundamental…

You can look around [in the general

business world and] see people who are

interested in money and nothing else,

but our underlying drive must come

largely from a desire to do something

else: to make a product, to give a service

that will do something which is of value

to others.’

2. COMPELLING PURPOSE

‘The great secret of passion is an emotionally compelling purpose’- Robin Sharma

11

Page 12: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

12

Q4. Discover your compelling purpose. By now you should have uncovered a deeper purpose for why your business does what it does.

Q5. The next step is to define that purpose into a simple statement that captures your compelling why. Here are some examples:

The research conducted by Jim Collins in

the area of vision is exceptional and has

significantly influenced this workbook

(I recommend you visit his website

www.jimcollins.com). Jim’s ‘5 Why’s’ is

an effective way of discovering your

purpose.

Start by describing what you do then

ask the question why you do it. Each

time you come up with a why dig deeper

by asking why again. It’s challenging

but it will cause you to define a more

compelling reason for your businesses

existence. As you complete this exercise

keep in mind that although your personal

reasons like making money is important,

they are not a compelling why.

Remember, for your business purpose to

be compelling it must be others focused.

Walt Disney: To make people happy

Nike: To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world

Nintendo: Put smiles on the faces of everyone we touch

ING: Empowering people to stay a step ahead in life and business

Mary Kay Cosmetics: To give unlimted opportunity to women

Does this purpose sincerely move you?

You may wish to scrutinize this purpose

further by examining how personally

compelling it is to you. One way to

determine this is to ask yourself the

question, ‘Would I continue to do this if I

didn’t need the money?’

Page 13: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

13

Your company will have all sorts of goals but a healthy vision should have one overarching all

important goal that will take years to achieve (10-25 years).

1. The one overarching all important goal

2. It’s big, very big

3. It should require extraordinary effort

4. It should be far, far, far beyond your current capabilities

5. It is daring and will even seem a little fool hardy because it’s not a sure bet

6. But it’s possible with the right commitment, right people and the right set of circumstances

7. It’s measurable

8. It’s easy to understand and needs no explanation

9. Most importantly it inspires, motivates and engages the team

3. BIG GOAL

‘The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.’- Michelangelo

Q6. It’s time now to set your big goal. As you do make sure that it is:

Page 14: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

14

SpaceX: Enable human exploration and settlement of Mars

Ford: Democratize the automobile

Google: Organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful

Microsoft: A computer on every desk and in every home

SolarAid: To eradicate the kerosene lamp from Africa by 2020

Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation: To cure blood cancer through marrow donation by ensuring a match for every patient in need

Red Balloon: Reach 10% of all Australians with a ‘Gifted Experience’

GOALS OF SUCCESSFULCOMPANIES

Page 15: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

15

In addition to the big goal, a healthy

vision includes a vivid description of

what it would be like to achieve that

goal. This description creates a picture

that people carry around in their minds

eye and causes those who identify with

it to not only see it but feel it. Conviction

and emotion are a key part of that vivid

description.

An example of a vivid picture can be

seen in the ‘I have a dream’ speech given

by Martin Luther King. Take the time to

watch the following video of that speech.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vDWWy4CMhE

In comparison to a purpose statement

or big goal (fewer words), the vivid

picture is a detailed description and

therefore contains detail! Consider this

vivid description of what Henry Ford

envisaged;

‘I will build a motor car for the great

multitude… It will be so low in price that

no man making a good salary will be

unable to own one and enjoy with his

family the blessing of hours of pleasure

in God’s great open spaces… When

I’m through, everybody will be able to

afford one, and everyone will have one.

The horse will have disappeared from

our highways, the automobile will be

taken for granted…[and we will] give a

large number of men employment at

good wages.”

‘Vision animates, inspires and transforms purpose into action.’– Warren Bennis

4. VIVID PICTURE

Page 16: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

16

Q7. Write out a detailed description of what it would be like to achieve your big goal. As you do, make sure that this description is clear, animated and evokes emotion.

Q8. Ask several of your staff, team members or family to read through this description and then to give you their honest opinion. Use this feedback to adjust your description if necessary.

Page 17: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

17

Now that you have clarity around:

• What’s important to you (VALUES)

• What you want to see come to pass (BIG GOAL)

• Why you want to achieve it (PURPOSE)

• What it would be like when it comes to pass

(VIVID PICTURE)

It’s time to define the overarching key action or

mission (assignment, task, job, work) that you simply

must do to achieve your big goal.

In the case of Waterman, to achieve our big goal

of a network of 5,000 thriving businesses we must

create exceptionally healthy environments that

contain all the necessary resources to help small

business people prosper.

Think of your mission statement as the one

overarching objective that your company needs

to achieve that underpins your ability to fulfil its

purpose.

5. OVERARCHING MISSION

Q9. Therefore, to create your mission statement ask yourself this simple but vital question: What single action is essential and absolutely critical to ensuring that your goal will come to pass?

‘Outstanding people have one thing in common: an absolute sense of mission.’ – Zig Ziglar

Page 18: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

Very often we stop short at the writing

of a mission statement but it is very

important to take the next step and

summarize the key actions that must

be done to fulfil your mission and

then look to write these actions in a

strategy statement. Keep in mind that

your summarized strategy statement

will become the overall guiding focus

for your staff. It’s where we now put

legs into our vision by providing clarity

around what we need to do now. Once

again using Waterman as the example

our strategy statement is:

To become legendary in the centres we

build, the communities we create and the

support we provide.

6. KEY STRATEGY

18

Q10. Try to keep it simple. What are the specific steps that are necessary to develop your key strategy turn your own vision. Make sure that it distils the vision of your business and that you keep in mind the values, goal, purpose, big picture and mission that you laid out earlier.

Your strategy statement should also

detail the standard by which you will

carry out those actions.

‘A vision without strategy remains an illusion.’– Lee Bolman

Page 19: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

19

‘In motivating people, you’ve got to engage their minds and their hearts.’ – Rupert Murdoch

7. PRECISE MANTRA

In business, a mantra is a short, powerful

phrase that expresses a core belief

or ethos, the purpose of which is to

motivate and inspire those within the

organisation. The benefits of a mantra

include:

• Aligning thoughts, language and

action to achieve desired goals

• Creating a desired attitude among a

group of people

• Engendering a strong commitment to

a common vision, mission and values

• Promoting supportive behaviour

• Helping answer questions and solving

problems

Below are some examples of business

mantras:

Disney – Fun family entertainment

Nike – Authentic athletic performance

Starbucks – Rewarding everyday

moments

McDonald’s – Fun folk’s food

Mary Kay – Enriching women’s lives

Federal Express – Peace of mind

Waterman Business Centres – We’re

better together

Page 20: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

20

1. KEEP IT SHORT & SIMPLE

To be memorable and resonate with

people, a mantra should be two, three or

four words only.

3. INCLUDE AN EMOTIONAL MODIFIER

Include at least one word that invokes emotion.

Emotional modifiers used in the examples

above include ‘fun’, ‘authentic’, ‘rewarding’,

‘enriching’, ‘peace’ and ‘together’.

5. LIVE IT

Once you decide upon your mantra, ensure you

live by its creed; day in, day out. If you don’t

walk your talk, you will lack authenticity and be

on a fast track to losing respect.

2. LOOK FOR BURIED NUGGETS

Look over your vision, mission, core values

and strategy statements as these will most

likely unearth the core of your mantra.

CREATE A MEANINGFUL MANTRA

4. ASK OTHERS

Brainstorm your mantra with other people.

Ask, ‘In a nutshell, what three words sum up

what I stand for / my core belief / my ethos?’.

Q11. Take the time to define your mantra. Aim to create a mantra that you feel is accurate and resonates with who you are and what your business stands for.

Page 21: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

21

8. PERSONAL MANIFESTO

Most simply, a business manifesto is a statement of the ideals and intentions you have for your business.

It’s a way of testing ideas before you commit time and resources into working on them in order to see

if they fit with what you are about. A business manifesto is a formal declaration of a sort, that boldly

states what you believe in, your values, purpose and goals. A manifesto will likely prove invaluable as

the tool by which you make most of your business decisions. If an idea doesn’t fit with your manifesto,

don’t run with it.

Q12. Analyse the guiding principle of your business; the reasons behind why you started your business in the first place.

Your manifesto should be exactly that: yours. Don’t lean too heavily on the famous manifestos of

celebrated business leaders. Try to make this unique to you and your business. Once written, read and

reread it periodically over the space of a few days. When you have a powerful manifesto that accurately

reflects the guiding principles of your business, it is important to ensure it stays relevant so make sure

to live it!

‘Stay focused, go after your dreams and keep moving toward your goals.’ – LL Cool J

Page 22: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

22

We should now be in a position to more clearly define the dream, the long-term desire of the

company. It should state in summary form exactly what you will achieve and who will benefit. It is

a description of a desired better future. It should inspire, be ongoing and in that sense never fully

achieved as distinct from the big goal that is measurable and has an end date.

Once again using Waterman as an example, our long term vision is:

Waterman - prosperity for small business and for the city.

Many businesses struggle with a lack of direction in the longer term. Too much of a results-focus

can lead to the short-term overriding the long-term vision of your business. It is vital that you and

your business is able to align behind a compelling, captivating and powerful long-term vision.

‘Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.’ – Joel A. Barker

Q13. Think of how you want your business to positively affect the world around you in the long term. This is your vision and should guide you with the business choices you make in the years to come.

9. DURABLE VISION

Page 23: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

23

The final step in developing a healthy

vision is to ensure that the vision is

communicated effectively, because

the best plans never find success

without good communication.

Good communication involves two

components. Firstly what is ‘said’ and

secondly what is ‘not said.’

‘Good leaders must communicate vision clearly, creatively, and continually. However, the vision doesn’t come alive until the leader models it.’ - John Maxwell

10. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Q14. Review the ‘said’ component of your vision communication by working through the following questions:

• What is my organisation currently doing to communicate its vision?

• What additional creative methods can we employ?

Page 24: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

24

Q15. Identify those items that are misaligned in your business practice.This will take some time, will require involvement from staff and will alsorequire insight and planning to bring about the necessary alignment. Of all of the steps in this workbook this final step will be the most taxing on your time but it is the most vital.

We now come to the most important

part of a healthy vision: The alignment

of your business practice with what you

have declared. It’s the ‘what is not said’

component of communication.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘Who you

are speaks so loudly I can’t hear what

you’re saying.’ In a business sense this

principle is absolute. May I stress that

what you do must simply line up with

what you say because the greatest way

to communicate your vision is to ensure

that the practice of your business is

consistent with your stated vision.

Page 25: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

‘The definition of an entrepreneur is someone who is willing to take risk’

Kevin O’Leary

25

Page 26: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

26

ABOUT

Waterman isn’t your everyday business

precinct.

In an era where entrepreneurs are

empowered and more people are

courageously pursuing their business

dream, Waterman is the ultimate tool to

help you prosper.

Actively defying the status quo of

mundane, expensive and inflexible

office spaces, Waterman offers inspired

workspaces as well as a vision to

champion small businesses to develop

within a thriving community.

With access to work out of stylish

private offices, boardrooms or coworking

areas laced with eye-catching modern

décor and lightning-fast internet, your

clients will take note as your business

transforms from solo to sophisticated.

An ever-expanding network of business

centres strategically positioned across

key Melbourne locations offers you the

convenience of working locally, or the

flexibility to expand your business to an

untapped marketplace.

Far more than its contemporary office

spaces and fresh green, light-filled

atriums, Waterman is set apart by its

phenomenal support network, business

expertise and a full calendar of resource

programs which are tailored to partner

with you for guaranteed success.

Page 27: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

27

CHADSTONE

Nestled above the designer retail precinct inside

Chadstone, Australia’s largest shopping centre,

the fashion capital takes on a new persona with

the introduction of Waterman - the business

capital.

Waterman’s centre at the south-eastern shopping

superstore is reflective of the type of luxury that

is synonymous with the Chadstone brand and

oozes a quality work environment which is sure

to make every working day special.

With the sleek décor which is trademark with

the Waterman design, you’ll be inspired by the

innovative common spaces, large open offices

and more than 50 training and meeting rooms.

NARRE WARREN

Waterman Narre Warren provides the thousands

of residents in Melbourne’s growth corridor with

the resource of an established, innovative business

precinct right in their own backyard - without the

hassle of commuting into the CBD.

Situated a mere 800m off the Monash Freeway

and within walking distance to one of Australia’s

largest shopping centres, Westfield Fountain

Gate, you’ll be in close company to the local retail

precinct, services and restaurants.

CARIBBEAN

Gone are the days of concrete jungles and

cubicles as the office norm, enjoy a breath of

fresh air with greenery and lush outdoor settings

during your everyday working life. Step outside

of ordinary and into Waterman Caribbean Park.

Combining the resources and amenities of

Australia’s largest business park with the real

community and dedicated support of Waterman

Business Centres, you’ll have access to an

exciting working environment that is ideal for

growing your business. Getting to and from work

is effortless too, with the centre located directly

off Eastlink.

Page 28: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

28

THE WATERMAN MANIFESTO:

We just love small business. We are

truly inspired by their courage, their

wonderful entrepreneurial spirit and

their willingness to back themselves, no

matter what.

But small business is tough, risky and

has no guarantees. It’s a stark reality

that most small businesses don’t make it,

bowing out with dented pride or broken

spirit. The majority never realise their

potential and never live out their dream.

We’re convinced that we can change

this and change it big time. Our deep

conviction is to become legendary

in the business centres we build, the

communities we create and the support

system we provide so that if you have

the right attitude, work ethic and heart,

success can be virtually guaranteed.

The ripple effect of small business

prosperity is significant—not only for

the owner, their family, friends and local

community but for our city and nation.

We hold in our hands the power to

do so much good on a grand scale, to

contribute to the prosperity of Australia

and the wellbeing of its people. And it’s

an understanding that on our own we

can’t, but together we can.

We believe in love. We believe in never

doing the wrong thing. We believe in

giving. We believe that our collective

genius is far greater than our individual

ability. We believe that if something

is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.

We believe that life is to be lived with

laughter, good memories and good

friends. Above all, we believe that

people matter and relationships are

everything.

We also believe that a three-minute

conversation at the coffee machine,

a chance meeting in the hallway or

focused feedback given by a seasoned

professional can profoundly change a

business. We believe that the wellbeing

of small business owners is more than

worth it.

That’s why we are so committed to

building these environments. That’s why

we’re better together!

NEVILLE WATERMANFOUNDER

Page 29: 10 STEPS - Home - Waterman Business Centre...purpose of your business. Without it, you run the risk of losing sight of the direction your business is heading in to achieve your goals

waterman.com.au | 03 8782 3777