Focus: Activity, Activity, Activity

Susan Clements

Executive Director, E-Myth Benchmark

It’s April, 2010 – month four of twelve. What!? Already!? The year has barely begun!  Yes, one fourth of the year is gone! Twenty-five percent of the time you had to achieve your business results for 2010 has vanished, and the critical question is: How are you coming on your business goals for 2010? 

Do you even remember what your goals are for this year, or has that slipped by with the time? Can you find where you wrote them down? If so, congratulations! If not, get with it! That is, unless you’d like to end this year without achieving a fraction of what you’d hoped for. Your 2010 business goals should drive the activity generated by your business.  Once identified, they should be your guiding light for decision making and set the tempo for what takes place in your business throughout the year.

If you’re not in touch with your businesses progress towards the 2010 goals, carve out the time to make sure the following goal achieving best practices are in place. Your annual business goals should:

• be in writing

• become an activity plan

• be quantifiable

• be tracked on a consistent basis

• be shared with your team

Once written, your goals can be reduced to a series of action steps and activities that are spread throughout the remainder of the year. This activity plan should drive your actions as well as the actions of your employees. Activity is measurable and can be quantified and tracked. As you evaluate the activity that has taken place, you can easily identify if it has enabled progress towards your goal and make any needed adjustments along the way.  Evaluation of results should happen on a consistent basis, no less than once a month for most goals and more frequently for others, such as sales or revenue. Since everyone in your company has an impact on its success, they should each understand the part they need to play in achieving company goals. As a leader you should have a plan for communicating how the company is progressing towards its goals and to share progress as well as setbacks with your team. 

2010 is steadily marching on—the days, weeks, and hours lost in the first three months of 2010 can never be recovered. Your business activity needs to keep pace with your goals. To ensure your business is making the progress you desire, you need to focus on and measure the activity that is taking place!

Focus on activity,

Measure results,

Modify activity,

Share the results,

…repeat to reach your goals.

Great Success!

E-Myth Benchmark

Susan Clements is Executive Director and co-owner of E-Myth Benchmark, a business coaching company specializing in coaching in the Financial Services industry and working with clients to create profitable turn-key business models. 

Susan and her team of business and executive coaches support clients to create results-oriented businesses through applying proven business best practices.  For more information contact Susan at sclements@e-mythcoaching.com or visit www.e-mythbenchmark.com.