“Planning is everything, plans are worthless.”--Dwight D. Eisenhower
There is perhaps no leadership dictum that means more to me. Nothing ever goes exactly as planned, the General is saying, but a thoughtful and thorough review and discussion of history, contingencies, and opportunities will give us more and better options to prosper and grow.
Winning Edge has developed the following exercise to take you through a journey to determine the most effective things to do that will drive customer satisfaction, teammate satisfaction, and PROFITS.
1. Review or develop a mission statement, vision statement, and core values. Make sure you have the proper foundation.
2. Consider “Where were we?”
- Review past scorecards, events, or income statements. Evaluate where you’ve been and look for past growth to celebrate. These past improvements will build confidence that problem areas can be conquered.
- Discuss problems, such as areas of decline.
3. Ask “Where are we now?”
- Compile a list of success stories from 2021 – Celebrate and reward yourself, your team, or your family for these successes!
- Perform a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats)
- Strengths – Things you can control – Optimize these strengths
- Weaknesses – Things you can control – Minimize these weaknesses and improve
- Opportunities – Things that you cannot control – Capitalize on these issues
- Threats – Things that you cannot control – Minimize these issues
4. Ponder “Where are we going in 2022?”
- Write down your SMART goals for 2022.
- Specific - A clear well-defined goal that can answer questions as to what the outcome of the goal is
- Measurable: A goal with a specific criterion that measures your progress towards accomplishing the goal. MPV - Make Performance Visibile
- Attainable - A goal that is attainable
- Relatable - A goal that has purpose and impact
- Time-bounded - A goal which is clearly defining the timeline, including the starting date and ending date
5. Analyze “What do we need to do to get there?”
- Prioritize your GOALS. First things First!
- Ask yourself - What resources, people, systems, processes, leadership additions or improvements do we need in order to achieve these goals?
- Practice GAME on each goal.
- Gather information
- Analyze the information
- Make a plan
- Execute the plan
- What training do we need for our people and leaders that will help us achieve these goals?
- Make sure measuring, monitoring, and feedback systems are put in place to ensure progress is being made and necessary adjustments are handled properly if needed.
- Build a dynamic financial budget that matches your revenue drivers and cost drivers.
- Consider if any capital expenditures are needed.
- Ask if there are any key hires (salespeople or leadership) that we need for the upcoming year.
This is a great process. I have been doing this process over the last 20+ years. At the beginning of the year, I am fresh and confident for the coming year's battle from the wins and wounds of the previous year. Then at the end of the year, I look back at the beginning and say “Man, I did not know very much at the beginning” because I learned so much during the year. TAKE ANOTHER STEP!
I would love to facilitate this conversation with you, or, with you and your team to make sure 2022 is optimized and everyone's confidence is raised to its highest level on having a great 2022!
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