Why Set Goals?

Can you believe it? We’re well into the 3rd quarter of 2021 and before you know it, we'll be talking about the Holidays!  

If you and your team aren't in the habit of meeting to set goals, track your progress and hold one another accountable, I want to encourage you to get started right away.

Over the past 15 years in the restoration industry as an owner and a business coach, I’ve become a little bit of a goal geek . . . not goals for the sake of goals though. What I’ve found over the years is that people who set goals that really matter are able to grow themselves and their teams personally, professionally, and financially.

Let’s face it, we’re in a difficult industry at a very difficult time.  I want to encourage you to get really intentional about what you want for yourself and your business and get to work making it happen. 

Maybe, as an owner, your focus will be on

• Spending less time in the day-to-day operations
• Growing your top-line
• Increasing your profitability
• Developing (or updating) systems to help your business run more smoothly
• or perhaps you’ve decided it’s time to think about selling and you need to get your business in tip-top shape so you can maximize your payday 

In each of these cases, I truly believe you’ll make more progress if you have a plan.

One of my scheduled breakout sessions at an upcoming conference this year is, “5 Steps to Planning for your best year yet”.  I’m sharing the outline of the presentation here in the hopes it will help you to finish strong in 2021 and prepare for a fantastic 2022!

Here is my framework for the process.

1. Quick SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats)
   • 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)
   • 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
   • 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
   • 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
   • 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.
   • 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.
   • Meet with your team on a regular basis and discuss your progress.
   • Set a recurring appointment with yourself to do nothing but review your plan.
   • If you are a restoration franchise owner, share your plan with your franchise support team.
   • Engage with a restoration business coach. That’s me. Schedule a free session with Scott Miller for help and feedback with your plan. See below.

Note: Originally posted in December 2020. Updates made 8/25/21 ~Scott