The Problem

Entrepreneurship isn’t only the name of being able to produce and sell products. It requires an unshakable vision, strategic planning, and most importantly, laser sharp focus. The ‘focus’ element has to do with the execution of all the crucial processes in the company which contribute towards achieving the short term and long term goals.
Due to many possible reasons, it’s easy for the driving forces of a startup to lose focus. Either they start spending too much time on stuff that holds secondary importance, or get diverted and end up with several tasks at hand. Some common reasons which lead to loss of focus in startups are;

• Lack of uniformity in the vision, where different individuals with authority have different goals in mind.
• Getting worried about expectations of investors.
• Being unrealistically positive, and taking more risks than needed. This happens when an entrepreneur is a bit too passionate about a new idea, and the startup takes punishment.
• The team loses energy or motivation to succeed, possibly due to delayed results or too much competition.

The Resolve

The solution to losing focus is keeping the team glued together and refreshing the operating and strategic goals in everyone’s minds. This can be done by holding more collaborative meetings amongst the team. Meetings can also help directors unify their vision through clear communication, and formulate roadmaps to achieve it. Even low motivation issues can be solved through healthy communication by reassuring the team about the things they’re doing well.
When it comes to exterior pressures, investor expectations are the toughest to deal with. But, the only thing that’ll please them is the company’s success, and that’s only possible with focus. Keeping the entire team focused requires a consistent effort, and it’ll surely pay off.

References

https://searchcio.techtarget.com/tip/Loss-of-focus-chief-reason-for-startup-failure
https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinzwilling/2014/12/16/6-ways-that-lack-of-focus-can-kill-your-business/#320733c21a21