What will you do differently (and better) in 2022?
As 2021 draws to a close, we look back with gratitude at the lessons we've learned over the past year and look forward to the new year with renewed vigor and resolve.?We ask ourselves: what will we do differently and better in 2022?
The reality is, most "New Year's Resolutions" don't work because they're not SMART.?Like business goals, effective resolutions must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.?Here are two simple things you can do to get those resolutions over the line of wishful thinking and turn them into reality.
1. What's better than?
Resolutions like "I will manage my time better" (if you're the creative type) or "I will strive for better work/life balance" (if you're a workaholic) are not specific enough.?Neither are likely to make it past January.
You need to understand why you'd want to do it in the first place, and then ask yourself, what's better than what you're doing today (FILL__IN__THE__BLANKS)?
For instance, if you're in a client-facing role, ask yourself...what's better than working with 20 clients that give me one-time projects and treat me as just another vendor among many other vendors they work with??Perhaps it's working with just 4 or 5 really good clients that give me repeat business and see me as a trusted advisor??
If your resolution is to create greater value for your clients, you need to put it in the context of how it will help you achieve a #goal, or solve a #problem, or fulfill a #need that is important to them -- better, faster and more sustainably.
2. Tools + Process = Outcome
Now, let's break down your resolution into smaller, more measurable components using the following "value equation."
To achieve any outcome, you need the right TOOLS to work with. These include your #skills (hard skills, soft skills, etc.), your #knowledge (industry, market, functional, technical, etc.) and your #mindset (attitudes, values).
What specific skills and knowledge gaps do you need to fill to become a value-creating, trusted advisor to your clients??Zero in on just 2 to 3 priorities that have impact.?For instance, it could be "how to ask effective 'consultative questions' during client meetings" or to develop mastery in the specific niche or space your client is in by mapping out their key competitors.
You also need a PROCESS to get it done: your efforts / activity (this is how hard you work), your effectiveness / #efficiency (how smart you work), and your ability to work well with others (#teamwork).?What's one habit, if you start doing it, would make an immediate impact in the coming year??Many professionals in a sales or client development role, for instance, practice what is called the "10 before 10" habit, which means every day before 10 AM they try to call and engage 10 new prospects in their space, whether it's to develop business leads or simply to improve their market knowledge.??
In a week that's 50 calls.?In two weeks that's 100.?That's activity.?That's working hard.?But you also need to work smarter, and as your efforts pay off and your knowledge accumulates, you can better determine which 20 prospects from the 100 you have just called (or 4 from the 20) are most likely to become your key clients based on the Pareto Principle, whereby 80% of your results tend to come from just 20% of your activity.
Last but not least, remember that you can't do it alone.?Teamwork is important. Find a mentor, whether from inside the company or outside, or even a peer who has similar resolutions and can serve as your 'accountability partner,' somebody who can keep you on your toes and hold you to account.
Without teamwork, the only way to achieve better business #outcomes is to increase your input, i.e. working longer hours, putting in more effort, which works well until you hit the point of "diminishing returns", where more more input does not necessarily mean more output. You become what is known as a "busy fool," and that's the last thing you'd want to be in 2022.
CGL wishes all of you a New Year filled with Success, Good Health and Happiness!