5 steps to mapping your business goals for 2017

With the Pragmatic Thinking team deep in the midst of our 2017 goal setting season let’s take the time to have a look at yours.

Building a process comes through action, and the best way to get clear on your goals, and those you may have for your team or business, is to map them out. When we start to talk about mapping, we can identify five commonalities for any map, and we’re going to use these components to create your goal blueprint. 

Title

Set your title for this map, covering what the map is about. This title is your goal for your team or business, clearly stated and specific. While this may sound like an obvious step, the truth is setting a clear goal can be harder than you first think. 

You might have a vague idea about where you want to head but have you actually articulated a clear goal? For example shift, ‘I want more clients for my business’ (vague) into something concrete like, ‘I want to have secured five new clients by February’ (specific). 

This is the time to shut down any voices of doubt and write down your goal.

Make it big. Make it real. Make it scare you a little bit. 

Action: 

? Open a writing pad to a new page and write down your goal. 

Orientation 

The orientation on the map points us to true north, which, for this map, are your high-priority values. These are your ‘why’, which sit behind your team or your business, and what you are doing here and now. When you or your team feels disconnected in process, coming back to these values will reorientate you to what is important. 

Action: 

? Around your goal, write down the high-priority values for your business as they stand today.

? Over the next few pages, write down things that help you connect back to these values, draw pictures and stick in images. 

Legend

Typically a legend on a map defines any key symbols and markers along the way —helping you to interpret the map and understand what you encounter along your route.

When you think about mapping your goal, the legend highlights your key markers — those regular rituals that you want to build in the business as you pursue this new direction. These are the rituals that will help you and your team achieve the goal and they become the anchor you can come back to when busy shows up. For example, a ritual that works for your business may be a 9 am Monday ‘powwow’ with the team or a midweek ‘scrum’ meeting to discuss any issues.

Action:

? Write down three to five key rituals that you and your team are going to commit to that will help you achieve your business goal. 

? Ask everyone to slot these rituals into their calendars so they become part of the schedule.

Scale 

On a map, we want to understand the scale that we are looking at. In this case, the scale represents your current perspective of the time and space that is being considered. When we’re feeling overwhelmed by everything we’re trying to achieve, we often only look at today, tomorrow or next week — and when we think about the future it’s tarred with the fear that next year will be exactly the same. We’re unable to entertain thoughts of what might be different. 

This is the time for you and your team to entertain a different timescale and a different future, because we can’t be what we can’t see. If we want to win a new project with a client, we need to be able to see ourselves shaking the hand of the client, sealing the deal. 

Action:

? Through committing to this goal, write down what you and your team will have achieved in five weeks’, five months’ and five years’ time (and it’s totally okay to daydream and play with this).

? Imagine achieving this goal, and write down how you will feel and what your team may be most proud of over the same time periods.

Date

Maps are continually updated with additional information and improved accuracy, especially when the landscape is continually changing. The reality is that the goals you had ten years ago were different from what you have now. Your team’s goals in twelve months’ time may also be significantly different. 

Putting a date on your map gives you context. Plug into where you are right now, and set review dates to come back to your map, see where the landscape has changed, and update your map with improved accuracy. You can also check in that it still aligns with your business values, because these may shift. 

Action: 

? Go back to your goal page and write today’s date on it. 

? Schedule times in your calendar for you and your team to check back in with your map in three months’ and six months’ time.

If you would like to read more about mapping out your goals and becoming the boss of busy then head to the link below and purchase your copy of 'Stand Out' by Alison Hill.

www.alisonhill.com.au/shopalisonhill

Image Credit: Unsplash