BrightSkills

One of the things which I love most is planning for a new year.  The idea of a 'clean sheet' with unlimited possibilities and potential is really exciting for me.  Having worked in both medium, large and giant organisations in the past, I've learned a thing or two about planning.  One of the biggest learnings for me so far in this regard is the importance of it.  As Roy Keane said during the turbulent upset of Saipan 2002 "Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail".  Even now as a small business owner, I still engage the discipline of yearly planning, goal setting and measurement and it has not failed me yet.  Here are our top tips for 2011 Planning;

Tip # 1 Get some specific time

In order to get into the correct state of mind for planning, it's important that you make time for this.  Ideally, create an environment that is uninterrupted and away from the daily job.  It is a great idea to have an 'away' day or afternoon with some key team members / business supports.  Consider using a hotel venue or maybe your living room!  The quiet uninterrupted space will allow you to think outside the box and be creative in your thinking - two essential elements for successful and innovative strategy.

Tip # 2 Start at the top - Big Picture

If you are part of a larger organisation, ensure that you are familiar and connected with what the greater goals and plans for the business are.  This is crucial if you are going to deliver meaningful and relevant work in your area next year.  If you are a small business, reconnect with why the business was set up initially, where you want the business to be 5 years from now etc.

Tip #3 Daydream

Don't be afraid to 'wish' for things in business.  A useful question to ask yourself (and your colleagues if they are involved) is this;

• If we knew that we couldn't fail and we had all the resources necessary, what would we be doing next year? 
• How would we be doing it?
• Why would we be doing it?

It's amazing the amount of great stuff that can flow from the above question when you remove the fear of failure.  Once you and your team have identified all the things that you really want to do, the next step is to go back to the perceived 'reality' and identify ways to overcome the barriers that exist in holding you back from just doing it!

Facilitated Brainstorming is another useful techniques for exploring goals for next year.  We have a number of trained and experienced facilitators who are available to run these sessions for you.  For more information contact us on info@brightskills.ie

Tip #4 Write it Down & Get Specific

Once you have begun to identify what you want to be doing during 2011 and why, put pen to paper and begin to add measurements which you can use as a means of monitoring success throughout the year.  Create a table which includes the following headings and work smartly on filling in all the information for each goal / work area;

a) Activity (in other words, what exactly does this relate to)

b) Desired Goal / Achievable (try as much as possible to assign a value for measurement to this i.e. increase sales by 20%, reduce costs by 15%, invoice €50k etc.)

c) How

d) Resources Needed (people, finance etc.)

e) Completed By (ensure there is a date for completion for each goal)

Tip #5 Break it down Quarterly & Monthly (Chunking Down)

Now that you have an overview of what you want to achieve in 2011, break down the goals and planned activity by Quarter (Q1 = Jan, Feb, March etc.) and then by month.  Assign goals and tasks for each area quarterly and then monthly.  This is known as 'chunking down' - it will ensure a steady pace throughout the year and will enable you to identify stumbling blocks, under performance and general problems early next year in order to overcome and still achieve your plans by year end.

Tip #6 Be Flexible

All great plans should be flexible.  Be prepared to adapt and flex as the new year comes and unforseen events take place.  However, regular reviews of your plan will allow tweaking and rearranging where necessary in order to still achieve the goals by year end.

Tip #7 Hold Yourself Accountable

Take responsibility for the goals and plans made and hold yourself accountable throughout the year.