Getting results starts with a plan, ends with success

Was last year all you wanted? Where are you going this year? The most successful people and organizations have a living plan.

A Plan Brings Performance. A legendary study of graduates from Harvard University showed the importance of goal setting and planning. People with a plan outperformed those without one.  The 3 percent with a written plan greatly outperformed all the others, who only had a mental plan. Having a written plan is a key factor in effectively pursuing your passionate purpose. 

Entrepreneurial journeys are a pursuit of passionate purpose, which consist of a four-step process. Once you complete step 4, go back in a circular fashion and continue.   

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1. Know and nurture the person (explore who I am and what I value — what is my passion?)

2. Find passionate purpose (determine what I want — how can I align my passion with a meaningful purpose)

3. Pursue purpose (establish a plan on how do I get where I want to go?)

4. Assess progress (evaluate how things are going and what is next?)

Assess Progress 

This is the perfect time for your business and your personal life planning. Assess progress toward your purpose. Look back on last year and forward to the next.     

Did you achieve your goals and/or make progress toward your bigger purpose? (You do have goals, right? )   

What worked? What did not work? 

What values are important to live by — what makes your heart sing? Where do you want to go next? 

What are the right strategic initiatives and actions to get you there? 

What should you STOP, START, or CONTINUE?

To Do. Ask yourself these questions. Be brutally honest. Next, get inputs from your staff and advisors. Consolidate.    

The Plan to Pursue Purpose

What is a plan? A plan is a road map that guides you to where you want to go.  In a recent panel discussion, two successful entrepreneurs and a seasoned venture capitalist stressed planning as an essential step in getting funded and driving the business. They recommended be flexible, make changes along the way, and use the plan as an evolving document to guide operations. 

A Plan to Create the Plan. Whether you are pursuing a personal or professional, modest or grand purpose, you need a plan. Some plans are lengthy, other plans are short, and if they include the essentials, shorter is better. The plan should include these critical elements:

Values:  Underlying core beliefs which act as the foundation for your pursuit.

Overall Purpose:  A statement of what you want and why.

Goals: Reasonable objectives that are written, measurable, feasible, and easy to understand.

Strategic Initiatives: Find creative approaches to meet the goals given the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the situation.

Tactics or Actions:  Identify specific steps to implement the plan’s strategy and achieve the goal.

To Do.  Use “Assess Progress” inputs to draft a plan. Make sure the plan is feasible.  Ensure it motivates you and your team. Write it down — short and sweet. 

My Story. I created my annual plan a few years ago. A few weeks later, I started having chest pains and could not sleep at night. After ruling out anything serious, the doctor asked, “What kinds of stress are you under?” Then I realized my plan was not achievable. The standards were so high that I knew, in my heart, they were not attainable. My inner self was giving me a message. That night I revised the plan by cutting the goals in half. The chest discomfort disappeared and I was even more motivated to work with this realistic plan. 

Conclusion 

Assess progress, reaffirm what makes your heart sing and where you want to go, define initiatives, and create a plan. What small step can you take today to begin putting it in action?

Theresa M. Szczurek, Ph.D., is a serial technology entrepreneur and Certified Management Consultant. Reach her at tms@RadishSystems.com.