Planning for a Strong 2nd Half of 2020: Are You Ready?

Can you believe it? We’re just a couple of short weeks away from the 2nd half of 2020. What an unusual year it’s been so far, too. Canceled conferences have meant so many missed opportunities. Conferences are the best way, after all, to catch up with old friends in the industry, make new connections, and learn firsthand about the latest trends and innovations.

But that’s not all. Conferences are where we go to take a breather and catch a spark of fresh enthusiasm and inspiration from the keynote speeches.

Okay, maybe I’m a bit of a restoration nerd.

Still, with 15 years in the restoration industry as an owner and a business coach, I was looking forward to doing two breakout sessions for the Alacrity Solutions Group (the newly merged Alacrity Services and Nexxus Solutions).

One of my sessions, 5 Steps to Planning for a Strong 2nd Half of 2020, translated very well into a webinar. I’m sharing it here in the hope it will help you prepare for the rest of this year.

Here is my framework for the process.

1. Quick SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats)
   1. Spend a few minutes and make four lists. Just jot down what comes to mind first.
2. Setting SMART Goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound)
   1. Choose one area of the business that would be most impactful, if improved. Common areas of focus are sales, cash-flow, training, delegation of your duties, and systems creation. Once you choose an area, write a goal that satisfies each of the attributes in the SMART framework.
3. Brainstorm Tactics to Achieve the Goals
   1. Make a list of the specific actions you and your team could take to move the goal forward. Write as many ideas as you can.  Involve your team in this process. Don’t put it off because you feel like you don’t have enough time to do it well. Even if you take 15 minutes and brainstorm on this, you will come up with an impressive list. Trust me, I’ve been doing this with teams for years!
4. Refine the List and Develop an Action/Accountability Plan
   1. Take that impressive list and whittle it down to the 3-5 actions you and your team will take over the next six months to make your goal a reality. Use the SMART acronym and make the actions really powerful. The extra element in this step is the accountability part. Each action must have a name next to it. It could have multiple names. Here’s an example: Let’s say your goal relates to generating more sales from adjuster referrals. One action step might be that each of your four production managers will call 5 adjusters every week and ask for work.
5. Making it Happen: Ideas for greatly increasing your chances of success
   1. Keep your plan visible. Everyone involved should have a copy on their desk, in their vehicle, and in their daily planner. Post it in your meeting room, around the office, by your whiteboard, or wherever it will be a highly visible reminder.
   2. Share your plan with at least one peer. If you know that a friend is aware of what you’ve set out to accomplish, they’ll be checking in on you. In short, you’ll be committed to success, and your chances of improvement will increase.
   3. Meet with your team on a regular basis and discuss your progress.
   4. Set a recurring appointment with yourself to do nothing but review your plan.
   5. If you are a restoration franchise owner, share your plan with your franchise support team.
   6. Engage with a restoration business coach. That’s me. Schedule a free 30-Minute session with Scott Miller for help and feedback with your plan.  See below.

Finally, you and your team should take time to give yourselves a pat on the back – and maybe even have a little celebration. You’ve been through a difficult time. Our industry didn’t shut down at all during the pandemic. In some cases, business slowed down; and in other cases, those of us involved in specialized COVID-19 related cleaning were busier than normal. In any case, you and your team endured a stressful three months and you should be proud. I wish you a strong and healthy recovery for the 2nd half of 2020. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you would like to discuss how I help my clients and more specifically, how I may be able to help you.