Accelerate. Now.

Dan Coughlin, Executive Coach, published a Manifesto to Accelerate: 15 Truths, explaining that great businesses are defined by their ability to accelerate, which he defines as the ability to increase the rate of achieving desired outcomes in a sustainable manner. These 15 applicable truths will enable you to take your company or career from 0 to 60 while optimizing your passion for your work.

Here's one of my favorite points:

"Acceleration Truth #7

To accelerate great ideas, say no.

One of my all-time favorite ads was a BMW ad that simply said, "No" in large letters. In the small print it basically said that BWM says no to a lot of good ideas so it can say yes to a few great ideas. That is tremendous advice! It's healthy to consider a lot of ideas, but don't run to the market with just a lot of good ideas. Keep searching until you find a few great ideas.

I had lunch with a CEO of a $1.5 Billion business. He told me he was serving on 15 boards. I thought he meant he had served on those 15 boards over the course of his career, but I came to find out he meant he was on all 15 boards at that moment. He told me he simply couldn't say no to any of them. Later in the conversation he shared with me on the on-going struggles his company faced. Do you see a problem here? Are you able to say no to anything?
What have you said no to today?
What have you said yes to today?
How about your employees? What do they say no to and what do they say yes to?
Is it clear what opportunities and ideas your organization should say no to and which ones it should say yes to?

Keep generating ideas on how to accelerate your business, and keep sifting through them until you find the one to three great ideas you will act on. Don't try to do more than three great ideas because before you know it you've turned a great idea into terrible execution. Trying to do too many ideas at one is a sure-fire way to generate mediocre results.

Acceleration is the art of sacrifice. Be willing to let go of many good ideas so you can execute the few great ones."

If you haven't done so yet, download the complete manifesto now.