It’s hard to believe that 2019 is just around the corner, if you’re anything like us, you’re probably thinking, “Where did all the time go?”
While 2018 has flown by, there’s still 1 month left to really get the most out of the year, and while many businesses use December as a time to wind down, you can still make most of these final few weeks.
Use this time to set yourself and your team up for success by planning what you want to achieve next year.
Doing so, will ensure your team return after Christmas feeling refreshed and ready to go with renewed focus and passion.
As with any planning cycle, often the hardest part is just getting started – especially when your team are caught in the Christmas lead up.
While it’s easy to get swept up in the hype, ask yourself this: How many times has February rolled around and you realise you don’t have a concrete plan in place?
This is a huge mistake too many leaders make. You lose momentum entering the new year, January becomes a bit of a “nothing” month with everyone’s still in holiday mode.
In February you start planning, and all of a sudden it’s March until things really start taking shape and moving forward.
You can beat this beginning of the year lull by assembling your team now, and getting really specific about what it is you to achieve in 2019.
So the question remains, where should you start planning?
One of the tools we often share with the businesses we work with is the ‘Strategy Gap’ framework.
While it might sound daunting, in reality, a strategy is simply a plan of action designed to achieve an overall aim.
The Strategy Gap framework consists of 3 simple steps that you can go through with your team.
- Current State Analysis – Define your current state, where are you today? What is the status of the projects and initiatives you are working on at the moment? What are you doing well, and what do you need to improve on?
- Future State Analysis – This is where you start talking about where you want to be in 12 months from now?What do you want to achieve? Craft goals that are big enough to push your team, but still achievable and within your reach.
- Gap Analysis – The gap lies between where you are today and where you want to be. In this stage, you determine what you need to do and what path you need to take to achieve your 12-month goals.
We’ll be diving much deeper into this framework, and giving away more tips and tools in our upcoming free webinar– How to Set Your Team Up For Success.
Watch the video below to find out more, and click here to register for the webinar.
