Every year, the majority of us—some studies suggest over 90 percent—make plans for the New Year. These resolutions may include breaking old habits, going to the gym, making more money, growing our business and team, or becoming a better version of ourselves. However, the reality is very few stick to these resolutions. Why do we give up or abandon our resolve for change? Often, it is because we failed to plan or define a path for successful implementation of these changes in our lives. This very premise is true with changes for the New Year in our business as well.
Let’s discuss some helpful tips to ensure your business resolutions don’t fizzle out by March. The first of these steps is to start by establishing a specific goal that you would like to achieve in your business. We often fail because we make broad or generic goals. One example may be that you want to increase your call center conversion rate by a certain percentage. The specific goal of increasing call center conversion rate is clear to all and easily understood; versus a goal of improving my call center.
The next step is for your goal to be measurable. You bear the burden of proof to show it was accomplished. If the goal was to increase my conversion rate for call center, I can use tracking methods to clearly see if that goal was met and where we currently are with regards to the set goal. This would be done with cold hard facts, rather than “I think the group has improved.”
The next attribute that will help make these resolutions or goals stick is that they must be achievable. Look folks, I love a stretch goal and enjoy pushing myself and my team, but if it is not realistic it will lose momentum and speed fast. If the best conversion rate you have ever experienced is 75 percent, asking for 100 percent is probably not realistic. Studies have also indicated that very few can maintain a 100 percent booking rate for an extended period. So, set forth expectations and set the bar high, but make sure they are achievable.
The resolutions need to be relevant to the individual as well as your company at large. They need to be congruent with the department’s goal, or on a larger scale, the company’s goal. They cannot be misaligned. This means all goals should have you and your team pulling on the same side of the rope versus a tug-of-war match.
The last step in making these resolutions more than just a dream is to make them timely. Most of us decide that January 1 will be the start date, but what timeline are we placing on ourselves for achieving the goal? We should have a desired completion date or period for which we want to make good on these resolutions. A resolution that is not timely, with a call to action, rarely gets achieved.
Some final helpful notes would be to communicate your resolutions or goals with those around you. Share with them your vision and what the end game looks like. Share with them why this goal is important to you and how it would affect you, your department, and the company at large. If you are one that requires a little more prodding, or tend to abandon your resolutions quickly, ask for help with accountability from others on your team. My last note would be to remind yourself that progress is progress, so if you have some hiccups along the way, remain steady and push through, making note of what caused the setback and learning from it to keep moving forward to your best year yet!
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