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Well, it’s that time of year… I have officially started business planning for 2025, and judging by my Facebook and Instagram feeds, it looks like many of you are diving into it too.
Like many of you, I have quite a bit of experience in yearly business planning. I have crafted some pretty great plans and, well, some that didn’t quite turn out as expected.
One common mistake I see business owners make when business planning is they fail to implement two things: proper tracking/scoreboarding systems and team accountability. Because of this, they start off the year with energy and enthusiasm – only to watch that motivation fizzle out by February or March.
So, how can you make a plan that thrives all year?
After creating hundreds of business plans in my time, I feel like I have finally nailed down the recipe.
I believe there are 5 steps you can take to create a “living, breathing” business plan that stays relevant all year and remains aligned with your business goals.
1. Set Quarterly Milestones: Break down your annual goals into 90-day sprints to maintain momentum. This provides smaller, clear targets for your team and offers natural checkpoints to review progress, adjust tactics, and realign. Schedule a quarterly review meeting solely dedicated to reviewing these goals.
2. Assign Ownership of Objectives: Designate key owners for each objective to keep momentum high. By assigning ownership to specific objectives, each individual feels responsible for delivering results. Clear ownership of each key objective will keep everyone invested and motivated. Remember: accountability boosts engagement.
3. Create a Tracking Dashboard: Visualize your progress in real-time with a KPI dashboard that everyone can see. This kind of transparency drives action within your team! Seeing progress (or lack thereof) in real-time creates focus, motivates action, and highlights gaps before they become larger issues.
4. Celebrate Wins & Lessons Monthly: Take time each month to celebrate achievements and discuss lessons learned - this will bring energy to the plan and maintain a growth-oriented culture. Monthly check-ins remind everyone of their goals and reinforce the plan’s value, keeping it from slipping out of sight and out of mind.
5. Integrate the Plan into Weekly Meetings: Briefly discuss the plan’s goals in weekly meetings, whether in one-on-ones or team gatherings. Frequent reminders keep everyone aligned and energized. These regular touchpoints sustain motivation, keeping the team’s efforts focused around the business goals.
These five steps are designed to make your business plan an active, adaptable tool rather than a static document.
As you are business planning for 2025, consider these questions:
● Which of these five steps could you implement to bring new energy to your annual plan?
● How would these changes affect your team’s alignment, motivation, and overall commitment to the plan?
If you have specific questions around business planning, shoot me a message.
Brian
