Not all Integrators are created equal. A unique Visionary growing a unique business needs an equally unique Integrator. It takes time to find an Integrator that will be the “right fit” for you and your business and it will likely be one of the most important roles in your business so you will want to give it the time and focus it deserves.
I have learned a lot over the 25 + years I’ve been an Integrator and what type of an Integrator I am has evolved over those years. Within the Integrator community there are many different types of Integrators, full-time to part-time (fractional), industry-specific to a range of industries. To further complicate things for the Visionary seeking their Integrator, there is also a range of skills and abilities an Integrator can possess and excel at.
What expertise will benefit your business the most right now? To know the answer to this question you must have a clear understanding of where your business is at in it’s growth cycle today. This is important to know because it will help you to identify the most important skills you will seek in your Integrator to help you move your business to the next stage in its development journey.
Integrators are skilled in many areas of business and can contribute at many levels. If your business is in need of process development, people management, and development you will want an Integrator strong in those specific skills. However, if your business already has the base building blocks in place you may be ready to focus on the overall structure of your organization (the right people in the right seats) and your strategy for growth. At this level of development, a business will benefit from an Integrator with more strategic abilities and an understanding of what it takes to sustain the vision in the long term.
A Visionary who’s ready to spend the majority of their time in the visionary seat and focused on the high-level future of the business will likely value having someone that can collaborate with them at the visionary level and keep up with them as a thought partner. This is where an Integrator with Translator and Thought Partner abilities can create tremendous value for the Visionary. As a translator, the Integrator understands the full vision and is able to clearly articulate it to the leadership team and help determine what actions are needed to drive the vision forward. As a Thought Partner, the Integrator provides the Visionary with a high-level sounding board, someone who “gets it” and can help to bring clarity and focus to the vision, accelerating the pace to achieving the goal.
Whatever your unique needs as a Visionary are the right Integrator will clearly define the path to your goals and act as an accelerant to achieving the next level of your vision. At any level, the Integrator is key to making your vision a reality and getting you closer to the business you imagined.
From Vision to Reality 