Happy New Year! How are Your New Year Resolutions Doing?

I watched a show the other night when the moderator asked his guests what New Year resolutions for 2022 they had already broken? They were coming up with some commitments for the year that had already fallen by the wayside. I was thinking of some of the business plans we have all made for the year that are already off track. It seems that they could not have been very important, or they were more wishes than commitments.

Spending the time to create a business plan for the new year is important, but it needs to be clear to all and can be measured to keep you on track.

“What gets measured gets improved” is good business advice from Peter Drucker. You also want to make sure it will make a difference in your business. “There is nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency something that should not be done at all.” Another great Drucker quote.

We always ask each employee to answer a simple question every year. “What can we do differently?” Amazingly, the people performing the job will always have some of the most creative responses. As an owner or manager, you may have a good handle on the business, but the people doing the work every day are the real experts in their areas.

Getting everyone involved and letting them know how things will be measured for success is also an important part of a successful plan. Business has changed for all of us over the last two years. I think you will be surprised by the answers from the simple question: What can we do differently?