Goal Setting

Happy December!  I hope that this is a joyous time for you all.  Over the past few weeks, I have been knee-deep in setting goals for next year. It can be difficult to remain positive while setting goals. As a business owner, you must strive to create a game plan while knowing to “expect the unexpected.” This month, I want to touch on three actions that helped me stay focused on setting goals: (1) anticipate the unexpected; (2) make decisions after weighing all options, and (3) move forward (don’t dwell on the past).

When setting goals, you must take time to consider what might go wrong in order to have flexible goals in place. People pass away, the market crashes, oil prices continue to plummet, home prices go down, and employees resign.  All of these things can affect your company’s performance.  Don’t set goals that cannot work around the unexpected twists and turns that will arise throughout the year.

On the other hand, people who face a lot of difficult decisions at once will often avoid making a decision at all. I call this the analysis paralysis phase. Poor decision-makers often delay their response or miss out on opportunities altogether when faced with a lot of options. Moving forward in those moments takes courage. Weigh all your options, make a decision and then move forward.

Some people make poor decisions or no decisions at all because they use the same data and processes they have always used.  They get comfortable with approaches that worked in the past and do not feel the need to seek out better ones. While too much change is never good for any organization, people and companies must look at current processes and evaluate them constantly. This task works best when it involves the collaboration of all who have invested interest in the company’s success.

I wish you all a successful close to 2015 and a prosperous 2016!