Wrapping Up and Planning for Next year

 

It’s that time of year.  Whether we are thinking about our own personal situation, our company, our department, or some other organization, the end of the year is the time to consider how things went the past year, how we might improve next year, and what our plans and goals for the next year should or need to be.

 

When I work with organizations, I usually review why they are in business – the mission - and in general terms where they are going – the vision.  We agree on whether these two basic planning elements are still relevant or whether they need to be updated.  Because if we don’t have the mission and vision for the future correct, we don’t stand a chance of planning well for the future.  Please note this also applies to us personally.  And trust me, this may be more difficult than planning for your company.

 

The next thing we do is consider how we did this past year.  Believe it or not, this effort is many times forgotten in the eagerness to plan for the future.  So if you had a plan for the past year, please take sufficient time to review how things went, what was accomplished, and what wasn’t and perhaps why.  The best way to do this review is to have the person or team responsible for the various efforts make a presentation to the planners, board, etc.  If you are reviewing your personal achievements or lack thereof, simply write down what was and what wasn’t accomplished and compare them to your personal plans from last year.

 

With the review of the mission, vision, and last year’s results in mind, it is time to think about plans for next year.  I usually ask folks to focus on a number of areas such as those listed below.  Some of these areas of inquiry may not apply in all cases, and there may be others more appropriate to consider.

 

·        Review of linkages to others inside and outside the organization

·        Worries and concerns

·        Measurements or data gathered this past year

·        What our customers are saying to or about us?

·        On-going initiatives (goals, objectives, etc.) by us and others

·        Input from employees

·        Status of on-going improvement efforts

·        New technology that might affect us

·        Politics within the organization, and politics in governing bodies

·        New regulations that might affect us

·        Input from suppliers

·        Information about competitors (strengths, weaknesses, market share, strategy, etc.)

·        Future environment (assumptions, projections, threats, opportunities, etc.)

·        Financial situation (balance sheet, income statement, profitability analysis)

·        Capabilities (strengths, weaknesses, skills, knowledge, processes, etc.)

·        Present market position (segment definition, total market, market share, market growth, etc.)

 

After all the brainstorming is over – the divergent part of the planning process - it is time to converge on the most important initiatives that must be dealt with next year.  I usually recommend that all involved with the planning take several minutes in solitude considering all that has been discussed to this point.  I ask each person to write down four or five areas that they think require concerted work this next year.  After everyone has decided upon their choices, use a pair and share approach to combine and decide on which initiatives you and your organization will work on next year.

 

When the initiatives are decided upon, write charters covering

·        what the purpose of the initiative is,

·        when successfully completed what will be accomplished,

·        what authority the team is given,

·        what limitations are placed  on the team, and

·        when the initiative is to be completed.

Assign each initiative to a person or team to accomplish.  Monitor progress regularly.

 

That’s it.  It is as simple and difficult as that.  If you want to transform your organization or your life you need to take charge.  You need to plan and execute.  Now is the time to do it!