Effective Strategies for the Coming Year

Linda Belan — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 03:24:37 +0000

Ah, December. Holiday parties, shopping and panicked employees begging for overtime so they can buy the latest uber craze for their children. It is also the time of year when many a department end is scrambling to finish their end of the year reports and projections and losing countless hours of work time, not to mention sleep in the process. This coming year, marks not only a new page on the calendar but a new, better method of doing business for you. Let this coming year see your company resolving to do things the right way for change. Instead of panicking at midnight on December 31^st, it is time for your company to:

Set a Timeline that Starts in January and Ends in December

Think of the major tasks that need to be completed for your business. Divide these tasks into quarterly, monthly and weekly tasks. Each of these can be handled by one particular division or department and should be done within the timeframe. Set a definite deadline and then make sure that the person or persons responsible know what that deadline is.

The end of the year report should have a deadline no later than the twentieth of December to account for vacations and holidays. This calendar should be printed out and given to each department, posted several places and permanently saved to your computer. You can even set your computer to remind you (or others) that a deadline is looming.

Break tasks into smaller, achievable goals

If you know that you have a quarterly report due in April, you should start gathering and compiling data as it becomes available. While you cannot pre-write it, you can start some of the baseline tasks so that all you will have to do is fill in the data once it is available to you.

Keep up communication and dialogue

So, there you sit at the end of the year trying to get a report completed when you realize that you do not have the absenteeism report from HR. You cannot finish without this vital piece of information. You call and email, text and page but you cannot get a single member of the department – all out partying and having a good time while you are banging your head on your desk in a deserted office building.

The problem is not only did HR drop the ball and not tell you what was going on; they failed to mention that the report was given to your secretary, a temp, who “filed” it in a big basket under her desk because she did not know what to do with it and did not want anyone to know.

The incompetence of temps notwithstanding, it should be firmly established who gives what information to whom, how it is delivered and when it is expected by. Going back to the calendar, a notation that says “report due today” is not going to cut it. It should say what kind of report, from what department, who will prepare it and who it will be handed or sent to- and what time of day it is expected so there are no questions and no excuses left to give.

Goals and Plans for Next Year: Using the Holiday Slow Times to Your Advantage

Linda Belan — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 02:17:59 +0000

Even in the busiest times of the year, even for the busiest business, there are some quiet moments that can allow you to sit and reflect. During these quiet moments, you should take stock of the previous year and consider what you are planning for the coming year. Whether you consider the twelve months that have just gone by as the best your business has seen in a long time or as a rebuilding year, you should think of things to do, to either continue your growth or to kick it back into high gear.

Start with a list
When you have a quiet moment to do so, make a list of the positive and negative aspects and events of the previous year. There is nothing too small to go on the list. Start with January and then move forward, month by month. For everything that is on the positive side, think of several things that you can do to continue them. For the negatives, list ways to turn them into positives or to eliminate them altogether. For instance, if you have had problems with the same vendor repeatedly, it is time to investigate a new resource.

Make a new list
The new list will be one with five or more goals for the coming year. You are only limited by your own dreams. Think of the business people who you have always admired; did any of them settle for small dreams or little goals? Of course they did not- so neither should you!

While you should dream big for your business, you should not take that to mean that you should set yourself up for failure. The goals that you have should be big, but still attainable or you might find yourself discouraged.

Remember those who have got you where you are
The holidays are typically a time for people to be thankful for their friends and family. Business owners should also use this time to be thankful for the employees, clients and vendors that have helped them be successful in the previous year and for the years to come. If you can afford to give holiday bonuses, do so, but never mention this to anyone, until you have crunched the numbers. The only thing worse than not getting a holiday bonus is thinking that you are getting one when you are not. Send a card to your clients and your vendors as well as to all of your employees because you would not have the success if it were not for them.

Think of the needs of your customers
In addition to your vendors and your employees, you owe your success to your customers. During your reflection, think of the items or products that you sell that do well and the ones that have slowing or dead numbers and find ways to increase your sales in the coming year. Reward the loyalty of your customers in the coming year so that they will continue to be loyal customers for this and many years beyond.

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Effective Strategies for the Coming Year

Goals and Plans for Next Year: Using the Holiday Slow Times to Your Advantage