So we are coming to the end of 2020 (sigh of relief for many!) and most of us have been challenged professionally and personally. Some businesses may have thrived during this year seeking out opportunities that wouldn’t have been possible without a pandemic. Regardless of your situation, the reality is 2020 is nearly over and it’s now time to start focusing on your goals for 2021.
Depending on what business you are in, January is predominantly a time of relaxation and summer holidays. Take this time to reflect on the year that has been, assess your health and wellbeing and spend valuable time with loved ones.
When you are ready to start focusing on the next 12 months of your business in terms of reaching achievable goals, take a few minutes to read through some important tips on getting goals. We’ve deliberately listed them into easy to read and palatable text as goal setting should be an arduous task, it should be one that motivates and excites.
Goal setting
1. Define your goals
What is it that you want to achieve? It’s important to be clear on what it is that you want to have accomplished. If you don’t know where you are heading with your business goals then it’s tough to achieve any form of success.
A business that clearly defines where it is heading and understands why its goals are worthwhile, sets itself up for greatness. Make sure you can visualise what it is you want so you will know when you have achieved it.
2. How are you going to achieve your goals
When you have a clear idea of what it is that you want to achieve, you need to focus on the steps to reaching those goals. These are your ‘action plan’, ‘stepping stones’ or ‘roadmap’, no matter how you define it, these are your guiding light to achieve success.
There may be failures along the way but knowing and being clear of the path towards a specific goal will determine how quickly you overcome any obstacles to get back on track. No matter how big or small your team, it’s essential that you have human resources assigned to ‘responsibilities’ of the ‘action plan’ so everyone has a purpose, task and can take accountability for their part in achieving the goals.
3. Set a deadline for achieving your goals
One of the most important steps in goal setting is to ensure you ‘set a deadline’ for your goals. To achieve them and have everyone know that the set goal has been reached, a deadline needs to be set. When you have a clear idea of when goals are you be met you can easily create an ‘action plan’ that lists all the tasks required to achieve that goal by the given deadline. Plus it’s just as important to know when you’ve achieved your goals so you can celebrate!
Should any hiccups arise or tasks aren’t tracking well to meet the deadline, then you have an opportunity to reassess the action plan. It’s important to keep an agile approach to business practices and be able to effectively implement contingency plans or put some strategies into place that will have you well placed to achieve the set goals.
4. Share your goals with the team
This may or may not apply to your business but if you have a team you must communicate the business’s goals to everyone involved. Make sure they know what the goals are, how and when the business will achieve the goals and what success looks like.
Most importantly make sure your team knows their roles and responsibilities of the action so they can take accountability and be motivated to do what they can to be part of the success.
It’s also a great opportunity to reassess and seek feedback from all involved if the goal wasn’t met and learn from the experience to eliminate the chance of it occurring again. Remember, once your goals have been achieved it’s important to reward yourself and the team for the success and hard work that went into achieving the goal.
Your Next Move
If the thought of starting to set goals for your business is a bit daunting or you need advice on how to make 2021 count in terms of business success, then don’t hesitate to contact one of our business coaches today on 1300 459 302 or visit our website today.
