It’s now the 4th Quarter, and just like in a sporting event, it is time to finish the event (year) strong.
When I work with my clients on Q-4 Strategy, we use a few themes to build a strong plan.
- What do we need to do to finish the year strong?
- What should we do now to build momentum for the coming year?
- What do we want to celebrate having achieved at the end of the year?
If you have an annual plan, review your Metrics and Annual Priorities and assess whether you are ahead, on track, or behind. If you are ahead, ask the question, “How are we winning?”, and then do more of that. If you are on plan, stay steady on the throttle and forecast to make sure you will stay on plan for the last quarter’s push. If you are behind, brainstorm with your team why you are behind and what you need to do to overcome that. It is always important to stay connected to your annual goals by regularly checking in on them every quarter.
Next, ask the question, “What are 3 key things we want to be able to celebrate accomplishing at the end of the year?” Be specific.
And finally, ask yourself, “What should we put in place to ensure we have momentum as we roll into the new year?”. As the year-end holidays approach, there are so many distractions and I have seen businesses let their momentum stall out during the year-end holiday hustle and bustle. When this happens you have to start from a standing stop on January 2nd. Instead, think about what can you do to keep the momentum moving forward. This is also the time to build your Annual Plan for the coming year. It is important to get your team off-site and in a strategic mindset to build a solid plan for the coming year.
Check out my blog located here 🡪 Annual Planning Retreat to learn more about how to conduct your Annual Planning session.
If you have questions on how to use Metronomics for your Quarterly Planning or want help, please reach out. We would be happy to have an introductory call with you.
Have a great 4th Quarter!
Coach Keith