The 9 gifts for business success

On the auspicious occasion of Navratri, Maa Durga is said to visit her devotees for 9 days, in 9 different forms, bearing blessings and gifts for a happy life.

In order to ensure success in your business, here are 9 gifts that you can give yourself and your stakeholders who are interested in your success.

Gift 1 - VISION, MISSION and VALUES in a documented form. Every other decision and initiative have to be established on the bedrock of these documents.

Gift 2 - A detailed GOAL SHEET. As Stephen Covey said in iconic book '7 Habits of Highly Effective People' - BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND

Gift 3 - An 'Annual Operating Plan' or AOP is the starting point for executing your goals and identifying the resources needed to make it happen

Gift 4 - Clear 'Job Description' for the various roles in your company. This should never be a tick mark activity but one in which you invest significant thought and effort. A JD is a way of clarifying to yourself as well as others as to what is expected from the employee.

Gift 5 - 'Candidate Profile' for each of the above roles. The profiles should clearly articulate the Qualification, Experience, Skills and Behaviors expected from the incumbent job applicants.

Gift 6 - SMART goals for each employee in your organization. If they don't know what is expected of them and the consequence of achieving or not achieving their goals, you are setting them up for failure.

Gift 7 - A performance management system with clearly defined frequency of reviews and discussions. Ensure that the rewards as well as the consequences are clearly communicated and adhered to without fail

Gift 8 - Detailed PROCESS MAPS articulating WHY, WHAT and HOW you deliver value to your internal and external customers.

Gift 9 - The NEUTRAL PERSPECTIVE. All successful businesses ensure that they always have a neutral perspective coming from somebody who isn't and employee or a promoter. This can be in the form of Independent Directors, Advisory Board members or Business Coaches.

Wishing All of you a Happy Navratri and Dussehra 2023.