Are You On Track For Your Q4 Goals?
In football, the fourth quarter is usually the most critical time of the game. Athletes train so they can stay strong and sharp during those important last moments. How is the fourth quarter shaping up for your business? Are you in position to make those critical plays that will finish your business year on a high note?
Start out right
Like many businesses, football teams put together their plans in the beginning of the year. They look at their players, devise strategies to highlight the strengths of those players and then they work hard to put them in a position to succeed. The fourth quarter represents the culmination of all that planning, just like Q4 does for businesses.
Handling the holidays
The fourth quarter for most businesses is going to be dominated by the holidays. From Halloween to New Year’s Day, it seems Q4 is just an endless string of special events, and that doesn’t count ‘artificial’ holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Whether you live for the scary hijinks of All Hallows’ Eve and the red and green tinsel of Christmas, or would prefer that the holidays disappeared quietly into the night, if you handle them well it will go a long way toward earning that fourth quarter victory.
Are your goals and plan congruent?
Do you have a plan in place that highlights your strengths and allows you to be successful during the end of the year holiday blitz? Are you poised to take advantage of the sales events and marketing opportunities available? Self-scouting is an important part of winning, so if you do have a plan, are you monitoring the right metrics so you know whether you’re succeeding or falling short?
Half-time adjustments rock!
If you’re not meeting the goals you set back in January, there’s still time to turn things around. Another aspect of winning both in football and in business, is adjusting when things don’t go your way. A bad throw by the quarterback, a critical mistake by a defender or an unexpected strategy by the opponent can quickly put a team on its heels. That’s why the best coaches (and the best businesses) have contingencies— those famous ‘half-time adjustments’ that sports announcers love to talk about.
Review and regroup
Don’t be afraid of adjusting your plans if Q1 through Q3 didn’t go the way you’d hoped. If things are falling into place exactly the way you expected them to, then review those goals and look for opportunities to take them even further. Whether the three quarters of the game have been naughty or nice to you this year, put yourself in position to play your best during the holiday crunch time.