Well I don’t know about you, but it seemed like this year was full of
twists and turns at every corner. Top developments included; the
proliferation of free terminals, customer card data security breaches,
more interchange increases, continued industry consolidation, new
innovative product launches and increasing competition just to name a
few. Instead of focusing on industry events of the past year, which I’m
sure my fellow contributing writers will do with expertise, what I’d
like to do is discuss how YOUR year went and what you’re going to do to
improve your results in the coming year.
It’s often said that the past holds the key to the future, and I
believe it’s valuable to take an unattached look back to determine
whether your means of execution or strategy needs to be adjusted.
Remember, there is no such thing as failure, but there are results, if
you have experienced a result you want to avoid in the future this is
the time to recognize a change needs to happen.
I still believe to this day that we are fortunate to have the
opportunity to work in such an exciting industry that offers new
opportunities and new innovations on a consistent basis. I know it’s a
challenge to make time for strategic thinking, but I promise if you set
aside just a few hours your return on investment will be considerable.
Don’t short change yourself or your company; commit the time to review
the past year and create a vision of what your new year is going to
look like.
Start with some probing questions about the past year:
- What did you accomplish in 2005?
- What was your greatest win for the year?
- What did you want to accomplish that you did not accomplish? Do you
still want to do this?
- What were the biggest challenges you faced?
- Could you have dealt with these challenges differently? If so how?
- What were the three greatest lesons you learned this year?
Now that you have the creative juices flowing, ask yourself about what
you want to accomplish in 2006.
- What is your main focus for 2006?
- What needs to be implemented, allocated or retooled to achieve your
main focus?
- What can you do better this year?
- How can you use the lessons you learned to enhance your operation?
- What are you going to do to stay ahead of your competition?
- What is your vision for 2006?
- Where do you see yourself and your company at the end of 2006?
I really believe Stephen Covey got it right when he said start with the
end in mind. When you have a clear vision for your company you can then
communicate it effectively to your entire organization and gain
commitment to that vision from your staff. It’s just like fishing, to
catch a fish; you have to cast your line into the water so the fish is
attracted to the bait. To succeed in business, you have to cast your
vision of the future in such a way as to attract, train, and retain
employee partners who will see your vision to its completion. Vision
casting works best when you cast your vision in a way that inspires,
motivates and encourages your employees; in other words, you need them
to catch your vision and really believe in it as much as you do.
Start now, create a draft of your Business Vision; clearly define what
your business will be like one year, three years and five years from
today. Commit yourself to living and breathing your business vision.
Read your business vision during sales meetings, staff meetings and
post your vision statement for all to see. Even a single agent must be
able to provide leadership and vision to those they interact with on a
regular basis. The key to realizing your business vision is leadership.
If you’re in a larger organization, leadership requires the desire to
learn, self-manage and the capacity to move the team toward a clear
purpose. Leadership is a verb, not a noun. Leadership is action, not a
position. Leadership is defined by what we do, not the role we are
playing. Remember what John Quincy Adams said, “If your actions inspire
others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a
leader.” True leaders positively influence the opinions and actions of
those employees in their organization.
Cast your business vision, creating a burning desire for your employees
to see it to completion and you will have the best year ever!
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