Sugar Plums
HAPPY NEW YEAR
With Visions of Sugarplums Dancing in Their Heads
I did a search on "Google images" to find this picture of a
sugarplum. I did it so that we could both see what one looks
like. Since I had never seen one, I did not have anything stored
in my brain files to help me understand the phrase "visions of
sugar plums dancing in their heads". And yet, I have heard this
saying so many times over my lifetime that it was "branded" into
my mind. Now that I've seen this picture, I know that it did not
measure up to what I thought it would be like. I think it's
often that way in business, too. Take a moment to consider the
current state of your business; does it resemble the vision you
had when you created it? If your answer is "no" and you are
murmuring under your breath about your circumstances, you are
not alone! The happy news is that you have the ability to change
it and turn things around. After all, you are the boss, right?
Sometimes in the day-to-day details of running the business, the
fundamental vision gets lost. As the leader of your organization
you are the person who needs to promote your vision. Since it is
not only your business, but also your creation, it is you who
must communicate your vision clearly to your team. So what is
your vision? Take a look at the coming year. What kind of growth
or changes would you like to see? A year from now, what will
your business looks like? At the risk of sounding like an
interrogator, here are some questions you might want to
consider: Do your team and staff members know your vision and
assist in the efforts to achieve it? Do you have a business
plan? Is your business experiencing profitability? What kind of
attitude do you have? Who will you work with? What's the
reputation of your business? Do your departments communicate
with one another in a productive manner? What kind of training
do you have scheduled? Do the people who work for you have any
means to grow? Are your team members excited about their work
and growth? Do you need to set a portion of your profit aside to
prepare to hire an additional staff member? Are you delegating
more? I suggest that you start the New Year off by taking some
time to plan. Get out your calendar and block out some
designated times for yourself. Use those times to do such things
as evaluate your current business state, consider new ideas and
make new plans. Write down all of your employee's names and plan
to schedule quarterly reviews with each of them. Think about the
types of training that might be required to help improve your
business. If you plan on hiring a new person in the future,
decide what their salary will be. Examine your financial
fortitude. You should expect that your new hire would be doing
more training than anything else early on, so prepare yourself
for a peaceful transition by setting aside six months or so of
their salary to soften the impact of paying someone who is not
yet producing. Owners with panicky attitudes (i.e. will we meet
this month's overhead?) do not make good leaders! Also, don't
forget to allow time for those menial tasks that always seem to
pile up - move your old files out, get rid of the junk and clean
up your workspace. You will be amazed by how much lighter you
feel and the clarity with which you are able to focus after
completing those simple tasks. ~ACTION Purchase your calendar
for the New Year and keep it readily available. Spend some time
reflecting on your vision, the health of your business and
personal life. Schedule a meeting with your staff to discuss
your vision and brainstorm new ideas about how to achieve it.
Remember: Intentions + Action create Outcomes. Remember: You are
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