7 Questions for an Outstanding Year
There’s a lot going on in business. Your to-do list is a mile long, and tasks come on quicker than they go off. But there’s good news: you don’t have to go through another year overwhelmed by “the list”.
You can get what you want from your business this year, and it all starts with asking yourself the 7 questions below. Getting what you want from your business, and getting more from your life – isn’t that worth a few minutes to read the rest of this message?
Am I getting everything I want from my business? Making good money, loving my team and generally at peace with the way things are going. If your answer is “YES”, stop reading now and save 6 minutes of your life.
Do we have a clear vision that’s shared by everyone in the organization? General Patton famously said: “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” There is no perfect plan, don’t wait for one. Get your team 100% aligned around the vision you have now, and get after it!
Am I 100% surrounded by people that both live our culture and are great at what they do? If you answered “YES” you might need to be more honest with yourself. There’s a good chance you’ve settled for people that live your culture, or are great at their job, but not both. Don’t settle, your business and your sanity depend on it.
Am I monitoring a small set of measurables to keep a pulse on my business? Beware of the “paralysis of analysis”. You can’t analyze everything all the time. Instead, focus on a small set of numbers and measure them weekly to reveal the areas you need to analyze more deeply.
Do we have a system for identifying and resolving issues and obstacles that block our execution? Issues are popping up around you every day, and without a system for knocking them out, you’ll feel like you’re carrying a bag of rocks around by the end of the first quarter. And by the way, a fire drill is not a system.
Are the main processes that run my business clearly documented and followed by everyone in the organization? Good news: when your core processes are documented and followed, your business will run faster and easier; bad news: documenting processes is not fun; good news again: there’s somebody in your organization that loves to document processes. Find them.
Do we set clear goals and hold people accountable, so we get traction on our plans? One step at a time: set goals, reach them, repeat. If you don’t have this, all the rest is wasted time, effort, and money.
It really is that simple. Not easy, but simple. So, here’s your challenge: ask yourself these seven question every week, and respond with the actions you know you need to take.
Don’t overthink it, you’ll know what to do. If you follow that discipline, I guarantee you will be closer to a “YES” on question #1 when we get to the end of the year.
Are you committed to getting what you want from your business this year? If so, check the strength of your company with the EOS Organizational Checkup™. And then, if you would like, contact me to review your results and begin the journey to the business and life you dream of.
Here's to an outstanding year!