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The end of a year is a great time to evaluate – to reflect on the current year and finalize plans for the new year. It is also packed with other (personal and community) commitments. There is a way to carry the load and still make progress.

It comes down to focusing on the BASICS.

Big Goals

What are your 3-5 big goals for the new year?

If you say you have twenty or thirty, it is unlikely you will reach them. But 3-5 is a great target – enough to create significant progress and certainly achievable. These big goals should be quantifiable and stated in terms of an action.

Examples may include:

1. Increase gross sales by 20%.
2. Develop one new product or program per quarter.
3. Create a targeted employee development program with defined results.

Words like “increase,” “develop,” and “create,” are indicative of big goals.

Assess Needs

Look closely at your list of goals and ask what resources are needed to achieve each one.

To increase sales, do you need to hire additional sales representatives or create a marketing campaign?

To develop a product or program, who will need to be on your “ideas” team, and what tools will they need to accomplish this goal? Who will serve on the quality control and testing team?

What development program best fits the needs of your team as related to these goals? For example, do you need to have a sales-based development program to equip your team to accomplish the 20% increase? Do you need a strengths-based assessment and program to help your team fully develop their innate strengths?

Stay Focused

Today’s world is full of sidetracks. It is easy to get pulled completely off track – and often to a point that you end the year with a lot of tasks accomplished, but no goals reached. To stay focused, write the big goals down on a 3 x 5 card or note them on a sticky note that you keep in front of you.

Ask yourself often: “Is what I’m doing related to my goals?”

Initiate the Plan

While some individuals have a hard time staying focused, others may be challenged with getting started. This is where knowing the personalities and styles of your team members comes into play. Some individuals (usually D’s and I’s) are natural catalysts. They make things happen. Once the ball is rolling, and about the time the I’s lose interest or are distracted, the S’s and C’s will kick in to finish what was started.

If you develop a team that is balanced across the D-I-S-C spectrum, you have a powerful engine that will start – and finish – big goals.

Communicate

There is one major key to success, and that is communication. Communicate goals, communicate plans, communicate issues, communicate praise. When it comes to business and goals, communication is absolutely key.

Also key is knowing HOW to communicate with each individual on your team. The Maxwell Method of Communication Impact Report provides powerful insight into the various communication styles of each individual on your team.

Set Your Team Up for Success

Understanding your team’s individual strengths and best environments for productivity allows you to set your team up for success. It helps with correct placement and also with creating the right atmosphere for each person to work at their best.

Some individuals thrive in a quiet, orderly environment, for example. Others would find this type of environment stressful and would be more productive in a more creative, interactive space.

As you reflect on the year ending and the new year, run through this BASICS checklist.

• Are your 3-5 big goals defined?
• Do you have what is needed to reach those goals?
• Are you and your team focused?
• Do you have definitive start dates and a team to initiate action?
• Are you communicating clearly with your team?
• Are you setting your team up for success in the new year?

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For more resources on how you can you can “get back to BASICS,” click here to learn about the Maxwell Method of Communication Impact Report.

As the CEO of Strength Leader Development, Deb Ingino is a highly sought-after international executive mentor, coach, trainer and speaker. Deb is well versed in global business operations and helps business leaders and their teams to discover and leverage their strengths, so they can create highly collaborative teams that deliver great results. With a refreshingly direct style, Deb helps leaders and their teams to deliver profitable results. Connect with Deb to learn more about her mentorship and coaching programs to equip you with advanced strategies to elevate your results.