This post comes from Grow Group coach Matt Caruso, founder and president of Decra-Scape, a leading hardscape firm in Michigan.

Anyone who knows our team of coaches at MGI knows we’re big on vision.

Your vision is your company’s ideal state, the destination to which you’re driving. If you’re not clear where exactly that is, you’re going to have a real hard time getting there—or anywhere else worth going.

But I’ve also encountered a lot of business owners who have a good, strong vision yet aren’t focused on the very concrete steps they need to take to get there.

Their eyes are on the sky when they need to be on the ground.

Take a recent client. We’ll call him Pete. I asked Pete what his vision was for his company. Oh, he said, that’s easy: We want to be recognized by our clients as the premier provider of quality outdoor services.

Pete knew his vision, forward back, and could recite it in his sleep. It was a clear, ambitious vision. All good. Then I asked him: How are you going to get there?

Pete thought for a minute and then rattled off three items: We’ll have the same color trucks and equipment, we’ll retain good employees for the long haul, and we’ll build a facility that will enable us to be self-sustaining.

Sound good? Sound familiar? Many of us envision these same markers when we picture success. And who wouldn't love to have them?

But Pete’s vision was to become the premier provider for his clients—were these really the steps to get him there? Were they discrete actions he could take today to move forward?

So I reframed the question. What, I asked him, are the specific protocols and processes you need to deliver quality services to your clientele? What matters most to them?

Pete’s company is primarily focused on maintenance, and convenience is a priority for his clientele. Together we identified three concrete ways to cater to their needs and distinguish his company from the competition:

• His clients would be able to log into his company website to request new work, check the work schedule, and pay their bills online
• His clients would be able to sign any necessary agreements with his sales reps on the spot because their trucks would be equipped to function as mobile offices
• His clients would be able to sign up for maintenance packages and customize them according to their needs

Now Pete has his work cut out for him. By focusing on specific benefits he can deliver to his clients, he’s on his way to becoming the premier provider of quality services. And by replacing wide-eyed dreams with attainable goals, he’s moving his company a whole lot closer to his vision.

What are the concrete steps you need to take to get where you want to go?