Setting and Tracking Your Business Goals
Building a successful business is a challenge. The key to realizing your dream of a prosperous company is focusing your energy on well-defined goals that not only help you and your team understand the direction your business is heading, but help you get there in style.
“Goals? We're going to talk about goals again? I don't have time to make goals—I just need to make money!”
It’s a totally understandable sentiment, especially in a competitive business world where every dollar counts. However, it's hard to dispute the fact that just about every successful entrepreneur, from the most conservative businessman to the most over-the-top pop diva, attributes setting goals and working towards them as the secret to their success.
There are many different ways to set business goals and to keep track of them. The important thing is to write them down and have a measurable way to determine whether you’re on your way to meeting them. Here are some resources to help:
- Even the busiest person has time to watch a few videos, and Lynda.com, the online education platform, has many business skills courses available. At $35 dollars a month for a subscription, it isn’t a free service, but you may find it a worthwhile investment in your company’s future.
- Have you checked out The 4 Disciplines of Execution? This is a great resource, particularly if you have a team, because it addresses the fact that your team is often so busy with their normal workload that they don't find your goals all that important. The emphasis is on working towards that Wildly Important Goal (WIG) and how many successful organizations worldwide accomplish this.
- Finding the right charts or forms to keep track of your goals can be challenging. Luckily, there are some resources online that can help. Try these business templates or these action planners if productivity is an issue.
- One of the most essential parts of goal setting is making sure everyone is aware of your goals and how you're progressing towards them. These giant Post-It notes should do the trick!
- Regular team meetings might be the butt of many jokes about life in the business world, but when run properly they make sure everyone is on the same page, as well as foster enthusiasm. MindTools, another great resource for learning business skills, has an article on how to run effective meetings as well as a meeting agenda template you can download.
If you’re running your own business, you already know your time is precious, and that you must be disciplined in order to focus on your goals. It's important to delegate whenever possible, whether through automating or outsourcing.
Remember that in addition to maintaining your focus on your goals, you also need to maintain your optimism. It’s a tough world out there, and you may as well face it with a smile.
Your success is up to you.