Sunday, November 8, 2009

Goal Setting is Essential for Small and Large Businesses Alike

By Bray Strickland

Any new business entity must have an established business plan as well as a concrete set of goals. Along with The Company Mission Statement, goal setting and planning are essential to the core of any business. Management and employees alike must be on the same page to insure continuity.

Some of the most profitable companies are susceptible to failure. There will always be competition. We need to always be aware and proactive to constant change for continued growth. We have seen many companies fail after years in the business. One of the main reasons for their failure was the ability to change with the times. Setting goals and planning ahead will keep us to the forefront.

Many of us might not want to admit it, but we will find all kinds of excuses to avoid goal setting and planning for the future. Keep in mind that this adage holds true. "To fail to plan is to plan to fail". Here are several so-called excuses that I've heard and encountered over the years.

IT'S NOT REALLY THAT IMPORTANT! Just thinking you know what needs to be done isn't enough. What worked last year isn't a given this year. If you and your team are not working on next year's plan today, it may be too late for next year. Working towards next year's goals should always begin today.

There are written goals and there are written goals. In other words, goals do not exist in thoughts only. They must be in writing. Talking to your employees about the plan for the company's success will have no value to the employee. Providing your employees with visual goals will spark their interest even more for their future and the company's.

I write my goals down and then place them in the top draw of my desk. There is more to goal setting and planning than just writing them down. You have to be proactive and implement, supervise and coordinate your plan or it will not work. Do you think Bill Gates, Warren Buffet or Donald Trump set and planned their success?

THERE'S NO NEED TO REVIEW MORE THAN ONCE A YEAR! This belief might have been true with some businesses in the past, but with the economic downturn and turmoil over the past several years, a revisiting of our written plan and goals makes sense more than once yearly. Adaptation and redirection could save the life of a company if properly sequenced.

Timing is so very important. There are still some tough times ahead. Making the changes necessary when the time is right will keep our company strong. This can only be accomplished through the awareness of our goals and planning. This will determine our future along the bumpy road ahead. - 29904

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