Having a set of long term goals is an essential part of both personal and business development. But this will hardly do much to define what you should do today and tomorrow.
You need a system of strategies which define tasks you need to spend most time on and those to which you need to spend only a little time and effort. These tasks must point up some direction to provide you with balance between personal and work time. Too much of any one could well affect the success of both.
What is now needed is techniques to accomplish the difficult task of defining the balance between the necessary day to day tasks and the medium to long term tasks. Another rule in determining this strategic direction is to not be fearful of the fact that because you have a defined strategy, you are tightly committed to it.
I would always advise that defining strategies as good v bad, possible v impossible. Rather you should rate them according to their ability to add substantial value and get you to your chosen objective.
Also be wary of getting strategic goals confused with tasks and/or activities. A task and/or activity is something that is done where a goal is something you strive to achieve.
People often ask me how they keep moving toward the long term strategic objectives. My answer to this is to ensure that with each new day you take a step in the planned direction and do not become overwhelmed by challenges and difficulties. You have not ‘blue skied’ your strategic objectives. Remember you have set stretched but achievable objectives which are measured daily.
My advise to businesses I have been successful in growing and getting back to profit is simple. Don’t be moderate with your strategic goal setting because they look more achievable. This type of thinking is a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you don’t start out with a belief that you can conquer the world you never will.
In the same way a bold and confident attitude can be self-fulfilling in itself. If you do not limit your goals and simply aim a what you would ideally like, you have taken the first important step to achieving strategic success through sustainable growth and profits.
In strategic business planning your imagination has to be backed by the determined pursuit of your goals with an aspiration to reach the very top.
Do not be limited by a perception that you lack academic qualifications. Take note that many of the worlds most successful people very often did not do well in school. Success comes in breaking out of the formula set by others, in setting your own strategic objectives and standards.
I other words, to be successful in the world of volatility and fierce marketplace demands you need to develop qualities that se you apart from others.
Do not try and re-invent the wheel, learn from other success stories. You can take someone else’s definition of reality and success and apply it to yourself.
I took every opportunity to travel the world and learn from best practice companies and then applied the to my operations. We were able to grow the business from $30m to $130m over five (5) years helped along by a philosophy of adhering to our core competencies. We developed people at all levels of the organisation and gave everyone a future to aim for and most of all a purpose in life that they were proud to brag about.
Success will come from your attitude of mind. With the right attitude and a lead by example philosophy, you can take your business to the national and international marketplace.
