Look at that – January is almost over and the smell of summer BBQs, Christmas ham and pine needles from the ole Chrissie tree seem so long ago. So does celebrating the new year (for those who managed to stay up for it) and those three little words that come with that night: New. Year’s. Resolutions. Can you remember what yours were?
Quick! Write them down! Put them on your office wall! Don’t let them fade in your memory, only to resurface December 31st 2014, when you’ll feel like a bit of a failure for not achieving them this year and then pledge to make them your resolutions again next year. A vicious cycle, I tell you! So write them down, now.
Within your 2014 resolutions, I hope there are some business ones as well as personal ones. A mixture of lofty goals and piddly ones work best (too many big-picture dreams will put anyone off). If you didn’t make any this year – or you did but you’ve already achieved them, such as “finishing off that Christmas ham” – then now’s the time to think about them. Need inspiration? What about:
* Be number one in our area.
* Increase our Net Promoter Score.
* Get a social media presence.
* Give back to the community.
* Double our turnover.
* Win an award.
* Improve workplace engagement.
* Recruit and retain the best workers.
* Create a scheme to thank our customers for their loyalty.
* Get inspired.
* Cement our company values.
The best way to treat resolutions is to treat them like KPIs. Make them measurable – get specific, put a number on it. Now the hard bit: determine what steps you need to take to get there. What strategy can you put in place to make sure you succeed at your new year’s resolution? What steps do you need to take so that on December 31, 2014 you can put a big tick next to that box and say you are a better worker/workplace than you were twelve months ago?
Now put these resolutions in a place where you will see them every day. Hang them on your office wall or next to the mirror in your bathroom or wherever. Don’t bury them in some notebook or bottom draw. You need to see them daily to remind you of what is important to you, what you want to achieve, why you do what you do – basically, to remind you what your ambitions and dreams for 2014 are. Dreams and ambitions keep you focused; dreams and ambitions keep you accountable.
Feel free to share them with me, too – I love to hear what goals businesses have for themselves, and how they’re going to succeed at them. It makes for a good year when you have focus and an end point. If you’re a bit lost as to how you’re going to achieve them, or what the best steps to take are, get in touch with us for some business coaching; we can help you achieve your dreams for the year: zac@businesschanging.com.
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