How to write goals that matter… and that work (3/5) 👆

Last week you worked on the three questions you have to answer to write proper annual goals.  But our work here is not done yet.  Answering the questions is half the exercise. Now we have to structure those answers so they become more than ideas and hopes. They have to make a plan.  Goals that…

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3 simple questions to write your best annual goals (2/5) ☝️

What if I told you 90% of senior executives don’t reach their strategic goals annually? That’s what research from The Economist Intelligence Unit has shown.  They say it’s because of flawed implementation. But it’s hard to do good work on a goal if the goal is wrong to begin with.  Much too often I see…

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Finding the Force: Continuous Improvement and Meeting Goals 🆕 (1/6)

A critical part of business planning is preparing for things to change. The better you can control that change, the easier it will be. How do you control change? Use a mission statement.  It’s easy to innovate with a great mission statement. Stay on mission A good mission statement guides your employees. It guides their…

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Celebrate success: measure, plan, recognize good work 🍾  (6/6)

Don’t forget this step, in any part of your business.  A powerful way to ensure more good work is to recognize what’s working, celebrate good results, and give the team the spotlight. Make sure everyone in the business knows when good work is happening.  Measure customer satisfaction First and foremost. It is up to your…

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The historical lens of lessons learned

One of the challenges of studying history, classics, and the past, is knowing how to read stories through the right lens: is it ours, or is it the lens of the time? Do you know how this comes up in business?  In your Lessons Learned.  Lessons Learned After a major project or process update, you…

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The best lessons are the ones we learn

There’s nothing wrong with things going wrong in business.  Do you remember Apple’s first hand-held device, the Newton? No? That’s ok, neither does anybody else.  Managerially the company did everything right and yet the product was a huge flop.  But the brand didn’t disappear, and 13 years later they launched the iPhone, which quickly set…

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Stop trying to stop making mistakes

Mistakes should never be your primary goal.  If you know that something is the wrong thing to do, don’t do it. You don’t have to chase mistakes because they’ll happen anyway, regardless of your planning and precision.  When we don’t make mistakes, we get to do things right. When we do make mistakes, we get…

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Innovation happens when you think inside the box: start with the everyday

Innovation happens when you are good at something you do… and then you do it a little bit better.  Innovation matters because it ensures that you are always doing things in the best possible way. “Innovation is about tweaking systems that are already faring well”, according to Business News Daily. It’s the little changes you…

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