Donna Flagg

Planning for the New Year: Setting Your Business Up for Success in 2008
November 26, 2007

For those businesses who have plans in place for next year, now is a good time to hone them, but for those who have not, it’s now or never. 2008 is merely weeks away, so there is no better time than the present to ensure that upcoming goals are clear, targeted and aligned to produce expected business results.

But beware! It’s easier to plan numbers, than to plan employee behavior. This means that  time and effort should  be devoted to how you will achieve your goals at the same  time that you are defining what those goals are. 

So while we can forecast sales and costs based on history, plan inventories and advertising to support one another, plot calendars, set objectives and establish headcounts, we can’t ignore the role that human beings play in the broader scheme of  things. After all, it’s ultimately employee talent and behavior that makes the grand plan work – or not. 

This is where the soft side of business comes in to offset, balance and complement the harder side. Training, management and leadership skills, corporate communications and role modeling are all vital components to how businesses drive and shape behaviors to support the successful accomplishment of business and organizational goals. 

So after the numbers are set, start another round of planning by answering questions like:

1. Goals and objectives: What has to happen? Start at the end and work backwards.
2. Planning behavior: What does each individual or department need to do? Break down actions.
3. Provide roadmaps: How do we want our employees to accomplish this? Define expectations.
4. Link to the business:  What will we do to support the efforts of our employees? Align resources that invest in desired outcomes.

Posted by Donna Flagg on November 26, 2007 | Comments (2)