A great many growth businesses run from one immediate growth opportunity to another until a weird crunch point where a Board and investors demand management time and attention is focused on immediate profitable growth opportunities. It is haphazard growth, and high risk. The stop-start lurch has the impact of hopefully immediate cash generation but a pretty fragile pipeline of ideal future business.

Smart businesses and management teams apply BOTH a “telescope” (mid and long range repeat, new and referral risk-taking opportunities) and a “microscope” (short-term value conversion and implementation opportunities) to business growth. They hold their colleagues accountable for both, and the seriousness, urgency and priority given to each potential piece of business and the total days to cash.

Are you in the former or the latter category?