Decisions made today will set the tempo for your new year.
Happy New Year! Now that the party's over, the big question is this: What are you going to do differently, and better, this year?
And how will you commit your time, talent and treasure to outperform the industry, if not your own personal best? If you desire reaching significantly higher levels of performance or successfully embarking in a bold, new direction, then it's time to figure out what you want to accomplish and how you are going to accomplish it. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.
Planning. It sounds trite and easy, but it has been proven over and over that success begins with a plan. In its most basic form planning is simply thinking through what you want to do with your available resources. As with any "to do" list, it is essential to make sure that you are reaching for an attainable goal, that you have an idea of the cost in both dollars and man-hours, and you know how you are going to measure success or failure.
Sit down with your staff and/or advisors and talk through what you want your company to accomplish this year and what resources you think you will need. Write down in the simplest terms what you want to get done. If your plan is to, say, increase sales by 30% don't spend 50 pages saying so. Just write "Objective 1 is to increase sales by 30%."
Even if you are a one-man operation, you need to plan the allocation of your resources (especially time) for what is important. This means that if your first objective is to increase sales by 30%, you need to elaborate on how you are going to make this happen. Again, when you commit the plan to paper keep it simple. Equally, if you want to achieve Objective 1 then simply say, for example, you will "increase sales 30% by adding a salesperson/representative for a new geographic territory/market" or whatever.
Networking. It is easy to get stuck in a rut, whether it's sitting behind a desk or just seeing the same people every day. Networking is both the prevention and the cure for being stuck in a rut. Networking means making a commitment to improve your business by meeting new people. It is making a commitment to share with others and find the next good idea, outstanding employee or cutting-edge technology. Most importantly, networking is about being positive.
No matter where you are located, there are local and regional organizations that can offer a wealth of information and ideas to improve your business. Regional organizations focus on everything from family business issues to technology development to workforce training and development. Local organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce or regional manufacturing and technology development organizations provide great venues for discussing ways to reduce generic costs such as health care, business insurance or taxes. Local networking can also be a great source for locating talented employees.
Industry-specific networking is another way to grow. Local chapters of IPC's Designers Council and the SMTA attract local attendees specifically from our industry.
Communication. No matter how well you think you communicate, there is always room for improvement! Once you have prepared a plan and stepped out of your comfort zone to network with new people, communication is essential. The most important people to communicate with are your employees and your advisors, but remember that what you communicate to each might not be the same message, presented in the same way. Equally, communication is not a one-time affair, but must be consistent and supported in word and deed.
Action. One of the best employers I ever worked for used to send me articles that were interesting or relayed a message to me. One article basically said that it does not matter how much you know if you do not take that knowledge, communicate it and then take action with or because of it. His message was clear. Taking action, however, requires a plan – one that is based on knowing what is going on within the industry, including what will be done by whom, how and with what resources. The plan needs to be communicated to those who might need to approve it, such as investors, banks, advisory or corporate boards. The plan also needs to be communicated to those who will implement it – your employees.
So here we are beginning 2006 with new opportunities to prosper, grow and excel on a personal and corporate level. It is time to plan, network, communicate and take action to achieve your goals. Let's get going. PCD&M
PETER BIGELOW is president and CEO of IMI (www.imipcb.com). He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
