Before the days of GPS, getting where you wanted to go required a good map. However, having a map proved insufficient unless the driver also possessed good map-reading skills. To read a map effectively, you had to know not only where you were and where you wanted to go but also what route you’d use to get there.
Navigating a new year isn’t much different from these bygone driving adventures. So, making the most of 2024 will require identifying goals and mapping out where you want the year to take you. Here’s how –
Know Where You Are
Just like when you’re driving, you must know your present location. However, instead of knowing the points of the compass, knowing where you are professionally means recognizing your company’s strong points and acknowledging your shortcomings. For instance, if the competition has harnessed AI to streamline onboarding, training, or repetitive tasks, you won’t keep up if you don’t follow suit.
Technology aside, taking stock of practical matters should also be a priority in the new year. Ask yourself these questions:
- Should you update job postings or onboarding to appeal to current job seekers?
- Are your employees due for skills or safety refreshers?
- Are courses current and interesting to the various generations in your workforce?
- Does everyone know emergency procedures?
- Do you have sufficient functional supplies for daily and emergency use?
- Do you take regular inventory to avoid running short of essential products?
- Are you keeping up with industry trends to remain competitive?
- Does your company meet or exceed government requirements for your industry?
- Are you consistently turning a reasonable profit?
- Are company salaries and benefits competitive within your field?
- What feedback do managers and employees have about business operations?
Once you know where you are, professionally speaking, you can analyze the next step in your goal-mapping endeavor.
Know Where You Want to Go
After evaluating your company relative to the competition, local protocols, and internal standards, you must determine what needs to change. These changes, which you’ll incrementally institute in 2024, represent your company’s goals.
Know What Route to Take
An old proverb reminds us that we need serenity to accept the things we cannot change,
courage to change the things we can, and wisdom to know the difference. Your 2024 goals may fall neatly into these two categories, as well.
- What you can’t change
For one thing, you can’t change everything at once. Once you list your concerns, it’s tempting to tackle everything immediately. However, some goals may have prerequisites to address before you move on to more significant issues. For instance, if you implement new technology, you’ll have to train employees how to apply it before it benefits your company. After compiling your list of needed changes, prioritize them and add any intermediary steps to each successive goal.
- What you can change
As you tweak your final goal map, remember that on-paper plans don’t account for life’s unpredictability. Throughout the year, you’ll find yourself revisiting your list and revising your plan to match current needs. So, when you write your goal map, remember that the plan will change but that those changes are all part of the process.
While making resolutions is a New Year’s tradition, it’s often followed closely by ditching those resolutions a few weeks later. Living up to your resolve is tough when you haven’t mapped out a plan. That’s why you need more than resolutions to revamp your business this year. You need a goal map. As you identify deficiencies, set goals, and plan your strategy, you’ll map your way to success in 2024.
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