Creating a clear vision of what we want to accomplish in
a business plan involves the cardinal task of
establishing goals.
Setting goals doesn't appear to be that difficult. You establish a
specific goal, one that's measurable and has a defined
timeframe for completion.
You implement the plan,
measure progress towards reaching the goal and then
evaluate the outcome objectively to refine the process.
On the surface, it sounds easy enough to do.
But it rarely seems to
work out that way for numerous reasons; primarily
because we often fail to establish realistic goals.
Additionally, we often casually set goals with only a hazy view towards
how they'll actually be accomplished. And while we're
typically motivated at the beginning of the process,
it's not at all unusual to lose this drive somewhere
along the way.
When
preparing your own goals, it's important to first
understand that every goal must be realistic and readily
achievable, given an appropriate amount of time and
resources.
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For example,
setting a goal to earn $25,000 per month within three
months, when your present earnings are less than $1,000,
is probably unrealistic. On the other hand, setting an
ongoing goal to increase your earnings by 5% or 10% per
month is not only realistic, but more likely to be
achievable.
Task Scheduling
Upon defining a
goal you believe you can attain, the next step is to
break it down into smaller, manageable tasks and
schedule them in sequence (assuming one task depends on
the completion of another). Before defining the target
date for completing the overall goal, be certain that
each task is given a reasonable amount of time for
completion and allow the sum of the tasks to define the
completion date. This is much more realistic than
arbitrarily selecting a target or completion date.
Project Management
If your project is
going to take a significant length of time, schedule
regular progress reviews, even if you're the only one
involved. For example, scheduling time every Friday
afternoon to review your progress and make any necessary
adjustments will keep your goals current. Don't be
surprised when something unexpected interferes with your
scheduling. It's not at all uncommon. Just identify some
way to compensate for the delay.
Don't become too involved in the
mechanics of managing your progress - this could lead to
consuming more time than you are spending on actually
doing the things that are required to accomplish your
goal.
For a simple project, a basic spreadsheet will often suffice. For
larger scale management, a variety of goal or project
management software exists, usually scalable for most
organizations.
Aside from actually
working the process towards eventually realizing your
goal, a valuable final step is to evaluate the overall
process and your performance. This should be done
objectively and regarded as a learning opportunity, one
that will help you to improve your performance the next
time.
With proper
planning, setting realistic goals will benefit you and
your business, especially if you streamline the goal
management process for yourself
Richard Rossbauer
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"What
lies behind us and what lies before us are
tiny matters compared to what lies within us
-
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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