The Secret to Successful Annual Planning
Annual planning season is once again upon us and it provides every business owner a great opportunity to celebrate their achievements. When conducting this type of meeting the secret to success is to start with reflecting back on all the accomplishments from the past year. This is the perfect way to rejuvenate yourself and your team for everything that was achieved.
Begin with a check-in around the table to have each person share a business, personal and unexpected success they experienced. This will help to set a tone of collaboration and unity. Following that have each person state their expectations for the meeting so you can ensure there’s alignment and a pathway for success.
Creating Goals
When creating goals for the new year, keep it simple! A list of the seven major goals is ideal which can be broken down into strategic, measurable and attainable quarterly objectives. This allows you to eat the elephant one bite at a time and not be overwhelmed, lose momentum or encounter time constraints to your daily job function. For example, if the annual goal is to enhance the technology platform then the quarterly breakdown may look like:
Q1 Conduct the due diligence and needs assessment.
Q2 Decide on the upgrade and plan for the integration steps.
Q3 Complete roll-out and ensure training for employee’s, clients or both.
The Results
When you begin with celebrating the successes then your team becomes more creative, ideas start flowing, and you end up with a better overall plan. To get your business moving forward faster, focus on the progress instead of the mishaps. By taking a look back to celebrate you will take your business forward.
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5 Essentials for a Success Meeting
1. Choose a Date & Calendar it Now. Fourth quarter is busy with holiday’s and time off so plan early.
2. Spend the Time Wisely. Go off-site or dedicate the time without distractions to work “on” the business.
3. Set Clear Objectives. This will set the tone and ensure everyone is on the same page.
4. Have an Agenda. This will keep you on track and help maintain focus.
5. Share the goals with everyone in the firm! This creates an environment of inclusion and a way for everyone to contribute.