VIDEO: Secure a Strong Start to 2018

November 29, 2017

In recent articles, I've discussed crucial best practices related to your annual planning process. With the new year quickly approaching, it's time to switch from strategic thinking to executing your plan. In the short video below, I walk through three steps you should take to ensure that you begin 2018 on the road to success.  

 

Hello everyone Rob Lynch here, the question for today is “How do I get off to a strong start in the new year?”

In my recent blogs, in my “Ask Rob” from last month, I’ve been focused on best practices related to your annual process. To ensure a solid start to the new year, it’s time to switch from strategic thinking to execution planning. Execution planning is just that, taking the time to plan your execution in the first quarter and when I say plan I mean proper planning.

First you start by asking yourself the question, “how much of the upcoming year do we need or do we want to accomplish in the first quarter?” Building a strong Q1 plan is essential for a strong start.

Every quarter is 13 weeks, in my experience is that if you do not view your planning as developing a 13-week race plan you’re going to lose time which you’re simply not going to get back the quarter. So, the second thing you have to do is develop a 13-week race plan.

The third and final thing that you need to do is at your weekly management meetings take 10 or 15 minutes to color-code, how you did in the prior week and compare it to details of what you needed to accomplish in your 13-week race plan.

So, at this management meeting ask yourself the question, are we green, meaning did we accomplish what we needed to accomplish or we not green meaning are we yellow or are we red and what do we need to do to get back to being green.

Having the laser-sharp focus on a weekly basis and not allowing yourself to make excuses when you get off plan will ensure a strong start. There’s also a side benefit, proper execution improves profitability. 

So, if you want to help ensure a strong start to the new year and/or profitability follow these three steps and if you want help contact me. Thank you.