By the time you read this article, most people have 15 business days or less left in the year. That means it is almost a new year. Are you ready to make it the best year of your life? Or not?
Are you making a plan that you will execute successfully next year? Do you have an elaborate budget and a process for managing the actual budget and taking corrective action? Are you doing some new things, some different things, some things out of the box? Have you determined what is working and have you come up with a plan to do more of what is working?
Some things you do work very well; you need to do more and spend more money on them. Some things you do don’t work, no matter how much you like them. Throw them away.
If it doesn’t work and you keep doing the same thing, do you really think it’s going to change?
Now is the time.
December is the month you need to put together that plan that will lead you to excel.
What will it be like in a year? What will your organization have achieved? Where will you be What successes will you be celebrating? If you can’t see it in your mind, how do you think you will ever be able to do it?
Think about how much income you will generate next year. Think of a number that you know you can make. Then stretch that number a little more and commit to doing it. Then ask, how much profit will it make? Few people think about this. Think of a number and commit to doing it.
These four pieces will help you get there.
1. Think of 2 to 5 goals you want to accomplish next year.
2. Come up with 3-10 tasks under each objective that you need to accomplish for this to happen.
3. Propose measures for each objective and each task. If you don’t have a way to measure results, how will you know it was achieved? You will not do it.
4. Here’s the key: get someone to hold you accountable for the process. He is not a friend who lets you get out of trouble. Get someone to kick your butt at the goal. Someone who will keep you on track and, if you get off, will get you back on time. Without this, it doesn’t work.
Example:
Software company creating a web-based solution.
1. Goals: (three simple goals, you don’t need more, get them then get more)
(1) Increase sales by 40% to 1.4 million per year.
(2) Update the product and ship it to customers: Version 6.0
(3) Move to a new facility.
2. Objectives with tasks: (example of one with details)
(1) Increase sales by 40% to 1.4 million per year.
A. Hire a new outside vendor.
B. Buy a new list of 1000 prospects.
C. Update the website
D. Add pay per click
E. Make 100 cold calls a week.
F. Attend 2 major and 6 minor trade shows
3. Goals with tasks and measures (note that these may change as you add measures)
(1) Increase sales by 40% to 1.4 million per year.
Measure: Chart with sales by month and year to date – updated in the owners’ office.
A. Hire a new effective outside salesperson.
Measurement: person generates 200k in sales this year.
B. Buy a new list of 1000 prospects and close 5 percent of them.
Measurement: 50 new clients from the list.
C. Update the website
Measurement: Update in place by 6/30
D. Add pay per click that works.
Measurement: Spend 20k and generate 20 new customers.
E. Make 100 cold calls a week and close a few deals.
Measurement: 50 new customers for cold calls.
F. Attend 2 major and 6 minor trade shows
Measure: 100 new trade fair customers.
4. Goals with tasks and measures and responsibility
This is a bit different.
Who is the one who will keep these goals on track?
First, who is responsible for the goal. In a small business, the owner may be responsible for all of this. In a larger organization, he / she may have other managers. But he / she still needs someone to hold them accountable.
Point: This is the most important thing I do in my practice.
Hold people accountable. Without responsibility, it does not work. Listen and never forget: YOU CAN’T DO IT YOURSELF. So while you prepare for the new year.
Build a great plan
Build measures to stay on track. Then find someone to hold you accountable.
So watch what happens, just amazing.
Next year will be the best of all.