The Last 60 Days – Evaluate Envision Execute

Danielle Moga, Barker Associates

The Last 60 Days – Evaluate Envision Execute

There’s nothing that brings on a bit of panic that the end of the year is coming like seeing Christmas decorations prominently displayed at retailers before you’ve even heard the knock of trick or treaters at your door.

For me, as the year-end approaches, I tend to count down shopping days and furiously plan out how I’m going to get it all done. It’s an approach that many of us take as we navigate holiday parties, shopping, travel, and the million other things that are synonymous with the end of the year. Whether you’re a holiday enthusiast or just a busy parent who is driven to make this the best holiday ever, It’s easy to get super focused on the end of the year hoopla for your family to ensure you get it all done, but what about your professional life?

For the business world the last quarter of the year is full of opportunities though I’ve heard countless excuses for the end of the year slack ranging from PTO, lack of focus or just plain ole procrastination but this is the best time of year to outpace your competition and get a jump start on the next year.

Mindy Barker | Barker Associates

“If you fail to plan you plan to fail” – Benjamin Franklin

While everyone else is planning their vacation, surfing online stores for that coveted gift, and running around to countless holiday parties, what are you going to be doing?

Now is the time of year for a full-on sprint to the finish, but to cross the finish line a winner, you need to take some time to evaluate.

What did you set out to accomplish this year?

Did you accomplish all your tasks, achieve your goals?

The last 60 days is an excellent opportunity for a big push to check off those last few boxes on the company to-do list. If you haven’t set specific goals, think in terms of categories and get your team together for a review. The more involvement in the evaluation process, the more likely you will get the support and momentum you need to push ahead.

Financially – Did you meet your profitability goals, move inventory, or land the big customer you had your sights on? If not, design some strategies and draft an action plan for the next 60 days. Is there a campaign you could run, a promo, or maybe a customer appreciation event?  

Projects – Review your project list. How many did you complete? Did your accomplishments align with your goals? Assess current status on open projects and determine what you can accomplish now.

Teammates – Look around, is your team tired, haggard, and barely hanging on? What have you done this year to take care of your team and show your appreciation? People can only push so hard for so long, so if your team has been knocking it out of the park, look for ways to acknowledge and reward. If you don’t know what to do or want to find creative low or no-cost strategies, enlist teammates across all levels. I think you will be surprised at how a little goes a long way towards building a loyal following in the workplace.

Customers – What’s your retention rate? How about an acquisition? Have you on-boarded the customers you desired, and are they generating profitability as you anticipated? Customers are essential in our business, and like teammates, they need to be appreciated. A simple thank you note, a holiday gift, a discount…all simple ideas that make a difference.

Conversely, you may have customers who cost more to serve than they add to revenue. Now is a great time to review those customers and ask why. It may sound crazy to think about firing a customer, but if they are hurting profitability, morale, and taking too many resources, now is the perfect time to devise a phase-out approach.

Environment – Take a look at your surroundings. Have you spent the year head down so focused you no longer see the stack of files or the supply closet in desperate need of a KonMarie makeover? What about empty desks? Did you have layoffs this year, and now a sea of cubes with an errant stapler is your only reminder of what once was. Clean it up. No one needs to see that; it’s depressing. Reorganize your space, check lighting, bring in some plants and ask yourself, is this a place people want to spend most of their waking hours? If not, make a change. Enlist your team. Nothing drives enthusiasm like a DIY project. Set some guidelines and go for it, then plan a celebration to cap off the year.

Once you’ve evaluated your year and have an accurate assessment of the current state, envision your future…dream big with your team. Throw out a few SWAG ideas, brainstorm, put all options on the table to discuss, and leverage to take massive action to reach your goals. Collectively ask “if we were to look back in 60 days, describe the perfect close to the year?” If you know what ideal looks like, then you have something to work towards.

Lastly, map it out. Studies show that we are more likely to be successful if we know what our goals are and then create SMART strategies to turn those goals into reality. Write them out, prominently display them and continually work with your team to get to the finish line and celebrate you’re winning year.

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” – Lewis Carroll

Do you need help creating your winning strategy, finding focus, or creating an action plan for success? Barker Associates is here to help you kick it into gear for the end of the year sprint and plan out your roadmap for future success.

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