The fall weather is settling in, and with Halloween behind us, it will soon be Thanksgiving, and then full immersion into the holiday season of December into January. 2019 will be here before we know it. Are you ready?
Before the events of life carry you through the end of the year, I’d like to challenge you to take a moment to put a plan in place for 2019. What are your profitability goals? How much do you want to grow, or is it time to look at rightsizing your company? What is your exit plan, and how will next year position you well to stay on course for that plan? What new events or opportunities are on the horizon that can help your company reach the next level?
When I go through the rewarding exercise of strategic planning, I like to cast a wide net first and leave no idea off the list. Then, I compare the ideas to our mission, vision, and values to ensure the ideas are aligned. If not, they are cut. I further refine the list by using the hedgehog concept in Jim Collins's Good to Great. What are we passionate about? What can we be the best in the world at? What drives our economic engine? If the item meets all of those criteria, it stays on the list. If it doesn’t, it’s gone.
Strategic planning is more about discipline and consistency than anything else. Once you have your plan in place, follow it throughout every level of your organization. Stay on track, unless there is a solid business reason not to, and commit to your plan. Time flies by, and it can run your day, week, month and business if you let it, or you can use time as an asset that you control to facilitate your plan and your goals.
Have a plan for 2019 already? We’d love to hear about it in the comments!