Decide Design Do

3 Simple Steps to Start Fast in 2017 and Finish Strong

Yeap, everyone's getting ready for the New Year. As we prepare to wind down the year and get ready for the New Year's eve party, many of us are also thinking of or making New Year Resolutions..... knowing that in a week or two(maybe sooner!), the resolutions will be broken or forgotten.....

How about a simple way to make and keep the resolutions that really matter? And, specifically,those for your business.

Here’s a simple 3-Step formula to get better results – right from the start. I call it the Decide – Design – Do model.

1. Decide

           First, you want to decide what is it that you really want for your business in 2017? Is it more customers, better control of your cash flow, expanding to a new market, improving your profitability or building a stronger team? What one specific area of your business would you like to change or focus on that would make a real difference, take your business to the next level?

           Yes, it starts with making some decisions. Setting some concrete, specific goals and knowing why they’re important, if not vital. Many times this is what holds business people back. Not having the right goals or only having some fuzzy goals.

2. Design

Once you’ve decided on your goals, and importantly, why they must be achieved, then the next step is to design how you’re going to achieve them.

           It’s your business, so you have the freedom and responsibility to design the Action Plan. What needs to get done? What are the specific steps and actions you need to execute to achieve the goals you’ve decided and defined?

           When do these activities need to be carried out? Which activity should you launch into first? Which one next?

           Who will help you execute or accomplish those activities? What are their capabilities? Do you need additional help?

3. Do

Now comes the hard part. Do. You’ve got to get down to taking action, implementing, getting it all done! The challenge is to stay on track, to stick with the plan (at least for 90 days) to be accountable for the results. This means staying focused on your goals and executing your plan, making adjustments and tweaks along the way, if necessary.

This is often the most daunting part of this simple 3 – step formula. I have found that busy business owners have a tendency to get distracted by many things, moving their focus away from their goals and plans. This is particularly so if they have not formally documented their goals and plans with the help of a practical template. And this is one area where as a Business Coach, we can really add value by supporting our clients to stay focused and achieve the desired results.

To get an idea of what it can be like to be supported by a business coach, go to www.peterlamcoach.com. Or, why not attend our upcoming “Make 2017 Great” workshop in January?

Wishing you every SUCCESS in 2017!