Check ZeroMils?!

Check ZeroMils — two words that can be used as both a question and a declarative statement. It is a phrase that we shared in common as Marine Artillerymen and one we have shared with organizations and #changemakers who are part of ZeroMils’ growing ecosystem.?

Check ZeroMils is fast becoming part of our organizational culture, just like it was in units we served with spanning three decades in the U.S. Marine Corps.?

In our inaugural newsletter a couple of weeks ago, we talked about engagement driving outcomes and how building and strengthening communities is at the heart of positive change — no matter what the cause.?

While these are at the core of ZeroMils’ values and differentiate us from other consulting firms, they are only achievable when we first help organizations with strategy alignment and clearly understand (and share in)? their mission, vision, and values.?

The Definition of Check ZeroMils

In the first edition of Changemakers, we shared why we named our company, ZeroMils — connecting a term we used in the military to our business model and the 5 key factors we help organizations with, in order to achieve maximum impact, precisely on their stated goals and objectives.?

?In using the term “Check ZeroMils” we are drawing that analogy out even further to the end state of a process that we guide purpose-driven organizations through called strategy alignment — one that ensures all stakeholders (internal and external) are focused and committed to achieving a shared vision.?

Check ZeroMils” is akin to a partnership where there is full agreement across the board.? Everyone “gets it” and is moving in the same direction for the same purpose. There isn't an ounce of doubt; no question about it, we are all rowing together in the same direction for the same purpose.? In many instances one will ask, “are you all in,” or in the “naval service, “are you on-board?”? The expectation is a resounding, “absolutely!” In our world we simply ask, “Check?”? The response is, “Check! ZeroMils!”?

Like the countless organizations we’ve served in, partnered with, and led in the past, strategy alignment and getting to ZeroMils' requires a willingness and a resoluteness to make adjustments, as well as a universal commitment with an involved team. It also requires collaboration across every component of an organization, bringing the unified whole together to achieve the ultimate (or desired) impact for defined objectives aligned with the mission and shared vision of the organization.?

“Check ZeroMils” is not only an affirmation of hitting the target, but it is a celebration of the team’s success and the impact they made together.

When an artillery unit and its weapons systems get to “Check ZeroMils” it is the result of every Marine working together towards that end. In advising our clients on strategy alignment we encourage them to view their own organizations the same way — as a system with interdependent operations that need to operate in a unified and mutually beneficial way.??

With this systems approach, strategy alignment incorporates key business attributes, core competencies, strategic objectives, action plans, work systems, and workforce needs.

Once at ZeroMils, organizations can also leverage their alignment of mission, vision, and values (MVVs) to external partnerships and organizations that have similar MVVs, goals and objectives. When this occurs the real magic happens and the true power of partnership is realized in the form of mutual benefits and synchronized objectives that result in maximum return on investment from a financial and resource perspective, as well as increased impact for a specific cause or a desired outcome.?

Similar to the organizations we’ve been a part of and with which we experienced this in the past, we have seen this numerous times with our clients too.?

When this perfect alignment occurs and ZeroMils is achieved, success and greater impact are undeniable. From Blue Star Families’ partnership with Starbucks on various campaigns that help bridge the civilian-military divide; to Oscar Mike (pictured above) “growing with Google;” to the extraordinary potential to strengthen communities nationwide, as the International Franchise Association starts to collaborate with multiple ZeroMils’ nonprofit partners — you can almost hear the end of every meeting, conference call, and conversation.

The question is always “Check?” The answer is always a resounding, “Check! ZeroMils!” There is never a doubt — everyone“gets it” and both organizations are moving in the same direction for the same purpose. The results of ZeroMils are undeniable and they are resounding, too, playing out again and again.??

If you close your eyes, you can see and imagine the incredible impact on the horizon. It’s just a matter of time. Can you hear it? Can you see it? Do you want to be a part of it??

Check? Check ZeroMils!

If you are a changemaker who wants to engage with the ZeroMils’ ecosystem and strengthen your community, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, subscribe to our newsletter, or go to our website. In our newsletter, we share examples of how building and strengthening communities is at the heart of positive change — no matter what the cause.?

You can also engage with ZeroMils by emailing us directly at? [email protected].