When I’ve asked people if they are prepared for success this year, I get some pretty strange looks, followed by the usual answer, “Well of course I am! Success is mine this year!” My follow up question is usually something like, “What have you done to prepare for your success this year?” or a variation is, “What are you doing differently this year that you didn’t do last year?” or, “how will you achieve laser focus on your goals this year?”
I know it’s shocking, but believe it or not, many people do not have a structured process of actually preparing for new business cycles. They often confuse closing their books with preparing for the upcoming business cycle, whether that is monthly, quarterly or annually. The fact is, there is a lot more these people could be doing to be proactive about preparing for success.
I have a client named Tom. He is a successful small business owner. He makes a custom product and has a fairly strong customer base. He was like a lot of business owners that I know – so busy, wearing multiple hats, and business just sort of happened (with a lot of work). A year ago, Tom decided to stop flying by the seat of his pants and sit down and actually strategize what he wanted this year to look like. For the first time, he actually created measurable objectives that would support him reaching his vision. From there, he worked to create the business building strategies that would help him grow over time. And finally, he picked those top several projects that would make a significant difference in his business, and gave those projects deadlines. Tom sat down with his team and shared his vision and plan – he actually listened to input from his top team members and revised his plan to take some of their suggestions. At the end of the process, he had a business plan, a strategy for growth, and a specific set of actions he was going to take.
Fast forward to the end of that year, and guess what? Tom not only met all of his objectives, he actually exceeded his expectations in several areas. When I asked Tom what the difference was, he said that the planning made all the difference. Because he had specific goals, AND he was measuring his progress each month AND he had identified a few “curve bending” projects, he was able to keep his focus clear throughout the year. We met regularly throughout the year, as our meetings helped keep him accountable. Due to his laser focus, when the pandemic hit, he was able to adjust his approach and tweak his plan to account for changes in his market.
I challenge you to see what planning can do for your company! If you are new to planning, I am happy to have a “no strings attached” conversation with you about some ideal first steps! Give me a call at 440-655-4755.
