New Year, New You.
And Business Initiatives WITH FOLLOW THROUGH…
2018 brings with it the hope of a better you and chance to “reset” in many ways. For business owners and managers, this is also a time of planning initiatives and actions for the next fiscal year. Last year, BCS Management wrote a post about writing a business plan before the start of the new year because planning is critical. Setting goals for growth through new outreach activities, more marketing, new procedures, and other initiatives are common at this time of year. However, follow through in the next year is less common.
Why Do Well Intended Plans Fail?
Chances are your business has some New Year’s resolutions from last year that never came to fruition. But why?
Any plan or goal is only as good as the follow through on that goal. These well intended business plans often fall victim to the same fate as that 5-day a week gym routine and healthy diet that we resolved to do in the new year. The common denominator is lack of an execution plan, schedule and accountability.
Here are a few reasons why new business initiatives fail:
- The plan assumes predictability in your market and workforce.
- Everyone assumes the plan IS the strategy.
- The plan focuses on gradual change (boring).
- No one really understand the “why”.
- An archaic approach to a planning model that doesn’t match real life was used (cut and paste).
- No one does anything.
Execution is Key
If no one is owning your initiatives and reaching your new goals, don’t expect your team to pick up the proverbial ball and eagerly run with it. Why would they? Would you if you were them?
The execution of a new initiative often requires that team members take on additional responsibilities and do things a little differently than they are used to. Change and extra work are two of the most highly resisted things on the planet. Using a third party contractor focused on planning and execution to get things rolling may be your best bet at achieving those goals.
BCS Management regularly serves as the driving force behind the actual execution of ideas and new projects. Our team can provide that extra man power needed to get things rolling and integrated into the new normal at your organization.
If you need some extra horsepower to get things moving in the new year contact us to learn how we can help.
Happy New Year from BCS Management!