Believe it or not, each day we’re getting closer and closer to the new year. Although the continued focus for me {and my clients} is successfully completing the goals and objectives in the 2018 plan, I’m at the beginning stages of working with clients to help them prepare for 2019 strategy planning.

Even though 2019 is a couple months away, it’s not too early to be thinking about how to increase your chances for success in the new year with a strong and reliable plan. Strategy and planning are KEY in getting your business to where you want to go as well as taking it to the next level, but oftentimes, with how busy business owners are, it’s not at the top of the priority list.

Strategy and planning aren’t necessarily something you should do when things aren’t working or a disaster sets in. Instead, you should include strategy and planning as part of your yearly and quarterly planning and then implement into your day-to-day activities.

Here are a few ways to start getting that vision out of your head and on the path to aligning your team. It will help you get super clear on where you are going and how you are going to get there.

1

What is your vision? Where is it you want to be? This sets the direction. Be very clear about it. If you don’t know where you are going, you’re probably never going to get there.

2

What is your 3-year goal? Based on your vision, where do you need to be three years from now to be on track? What products or services will you be selling? What will your team structure look like?

3

What is your 1-year plan? Now that you know where you need to be three years from now, what needs to be true a year from now to be on track?

4

Create priorities. In order to achieve your goal, what do you need to do right now? Focus on your vision and not the distractions along the way. Figure out what really matters and set those as your priorities.

5

Define success metrics. How will you know if you are on track? Before executing on your priorities, define what to measure, how to measure if and with what frequency.

6

Align your team. With goals and priorities set, you need to clearly communicate with your team so everyone is rowing in the same direction.

7

Execute! Clearly outline the steps to achieve the plan and get to work. Be sure to assign an owner and a due date as well.

So, here’s the truth. You’re not going to get what you want from your business without a long-term plan. This is just how it is. You need to take steps towards your goals way in advance. You need to know where you want to go, what you want to do and be able to communicate it with your team.

It can be very beneficial to bring in a resource to facilitate your yearly and quarterly sessions. A facilitator will help you keep the meeting on track, avoid tangents, and balance the conversation.