Did you get sidetracked in January?
January has already ended. New year’s resolutions, according to research, are already broken. And you are wondering where the month went and what you and your team accomplished.
Did you reach any goal you set? Can you name your accomplishments? If yes, congratulations and keep at it! If not, read on … and know that it’s okay, you are not alone.
Last year, there were studies stating that January is the least productive month of the year, so it’s important that you try not to fall into this category, or maybe it’s too late.
Many this month were side-tracked, as often happens in every workplace, and yes also on the home front. The coronavirus panic may have set in, or your staff was sidelined with the flu or the wicked cold going around that is just as concerning.
Whatever happened in January, you need to stop and check in.
Did you plan well? Are you sticking to your strategy? Did you focus on the monthly, weekly and daily goals you set? And did you work on some daily habits to get you there?
If you answered NO to any of these questions, or possibly all of them, it’s time to reflect and start again. If you want some tips on how to do that, check out my earlier blog on the Why, How and Who of Growth.
Remember, your strategy is important and a blend of art and science. Without creativity and execution, it is rendered meaningless.
We can revisit strategic planning, and particularly the people side of it in more detail in the future. As a quick reminder, your strategic plan should generally include the following components according to the Harvard Business Press Pocket Mentor on Executing Strategy - direction statement, strategic objectives, priority issues and action plans.
“In reality, strategy is actually very straightforward. You pick a general direction and implement like hell.
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Let’s revisit to get you back on track. Below are my top three recommendations to get you and your team back on track and into productivity and growth mode.
1. Go back to the fiscal year, quarterly and monthly plan and revisit the strategy and action plan you set.
Ask yourself the following questions:
Did any of the goals I set get realized? If yes, then celebrate them!
Celebrate any milestones reached, and ask what worked to make success happen.
If your goals were not realized, assess why.
What interrupted the delivery of the set goals?
If for example, you had huge absenteeism, an unexpected customer crisis or unforecasted business interruption, you need to analyze this and learn.
If there were errors or production issues, review what happened, analyze and learn.
Check in with your people and make sure they have what they need to succeed, and ask if you did all you could to help.
January is a tough time for some, financial debt overload, depression and other issues are compounded. Ask if they’re okay.
Is your team healthy on all fronts? Don’t allow presenteeism.
Do they have the resources to get the job done - ask them.
2. Go back to the quarterly and next two months’ plans and revise as required. Refresh the plans and set up your people for success.
Here is a reminder of a few tips to help:
Revisit whether the objectives were SMART. And you know that means specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. Michael Hyatt and team have expanded this and use his trademarked SMARTER to set goals, habits and help you plan.
Make sure the goals set are very specific, and since we’re getting into February, revisit that month’s goals. For example, if it is increasing year over year sales by five per cent, that’s SMART, but if it is more general like bring in more clients … well you get the picture.
“Every moment spent planning, saves three or four in execution ”
I’m amazed that many scaling businesses don’t bother developing any objectives and simply go with the flow. That’s not a good use of anyone’s time and energy and won’t produce results. A well-thought out business strategy and alignment from all functional units, teams and individuals remain keys to success even if it’s planned in shorter sprints. For a small business, your people may wear many hats, but they need to know whether they are going to need a sun hat for the beach or a baseball cap to watch the Blue Jays game.
Planning is an ongoing and iterative process. The strategy is your high level roadmap, and your people can’t get to the destination without knowing where they are going and the resources and tools to help them navigate.
3. Start to implement weekly and daily goal-setting activities.
Here are some ideas:
Every Sunday night, check out your calendar for the week and think about your top priorities. Write them down. Calendar them.
Every evening, check your calendar for the next day.
Start your day with review the plan, revisit if something changed (as it always does).
Work on your top three priorities first.
In February's posts, we’ll revisit daily habits and rituals and how to bring some fun back into the workplace and ramp up the energy for productivity.
Let’s work together to remove stress from work and create healthy and happy workplaces. Implementing plans, goals and habits can help with that.
Helen