Let’s start off with how 2020 turned out. The word “Coronavirus” was the top trending search worldwide. We watched press conference after press conference to keep up with the news about the pandemic. Companies had plans, they got derailed. But again, if 2020 has reminded us of anything is use the lessons learned from 2020 to plan and priorities for 2021.
Successful companies grow bigger and unsuccessful companies fade away. Why?
One of the main things that set the successful companies apart is the difference in planning strategically. Successful companies plan for everything they do well in advance. They make mid-term plans extending up to 3 years and long term plans extending to over 10 years. Then prioritise the order which they want to achieve those plans. In contrast, unsuccessful companies rarely make mid and long term plans. They tend to focus on the day to day running of a business that was set up from a well thought out business plan. The plan soon becomes outdated and managing the business becomes a havoc experience.
The role of strategic planning in running a business can never be emphasised enough in setting direction. As a business grows internally and the client base grows, it becomes more crucial to plan ahead to be prepared for the structural, organisational and cultural changes that come with growth. While running a business can be compared to going on a camping trip, planning can be compared to the preparation you make before you head out for your safari.
A big part of planning is to set priorities so that the business is clear on what to focus on at every stage and where to invest its resources. Priorities come along to show you what you must do first and how it will help. A well-known phrase used by many large successful organisations is “Start Less, Finish More.”
Issues will always come up daily that require your “urgent” attention to be sorted out but that’s where prioritising comes in. You already determined before-hand what you would consider as urgent, so you are able to deliberately ignore or re-direct issues to those who can deal with them. Mostly, only 2 items are truly ever urgent out of every 10 issues that arise.
Ensure your business is a success by planning ahead and prioritising.
Written by
Elizabeth Kanini, Marketing & Branding Manager