I love the fall. Not just because of sweater weather and fall activities with my family, but because we get to watch the earth rebuild itself. Everything- even the good, is shed and removed. And what looks like the end or the beginning stages of loss is really just a set up for new beginnings. The earth literally prunes itself and makes room for what is to come. As business leaders, educators, parents, entrepreneurs, whatever role and mantle you carry, we are no different and we too have to pause, prune, fall back, and recreate.
How often you will have to readjust your team, realign your goals, and re-examine your success and failure is up to you. You initiate your shift and season change. This is how we expand. This is how we reenergize. This is how we make room for something new! And don’t mistake this rhetoric as just “feel good” or philosophical chatter! Pausing, reflecting, and realignment is strategic. The truth is, pausing to realigning your organization around your strategic plan and using this time of reflection to remove what doesn’t work and identify any foreseen obstacles, enables your team to execute its goals and scale up the company.
Fall back and set up! You first, then your team. Reflection and realignment must be a team effort. At its core, every strategic priority is cross-functional and requires input from multiple team members and they all must be aligned. Make time to include your team and make sure everyone fully understands their role and upcoming changes and objectives. Organizational alignment is the cornerstone of maximum goal attainment and drives business results.
3 Realignment Objectives
1. Reduce Wasted Time
Make sure everyone is using their efforts and time in the most impactful way. Remove tasks that don’t support monetization or growth. Ensure proper delegations and assignments are in place. This reduces wasted time and re-work due to a lack of effective goal communication.
2. Collect and Review Data
What were the organization’s goals last year, last quarter? How were they met? What key numbers are present in terms of sales, growth, followers, clients, and social media engagement? Is there any feedback that can be analyzed? Don’t wing it! Use factual numbers and trends to better forecast your objectives.
3. Confirm Long-Term Goals
Use this time to make sure all focus and goals are in unison. Everyone needs to be clear on the long-term organizational goals so that all roles support each other, working towards the same vision. Plan your long-term goals by:
· ConnectIng long-term goals with core values
· Plan to work towards them every day
· Break long-term goals into short-term tasks
· Consider working backwards and starting at the finish line. By starting at the end and looking back, you can mentally prepare yourself for success, map out the specific milestones you need to reach, and identify where in your plan you have to be particularly energetic or creative to achieve the desired results.
Never neglect the fall back and realign period. And just like seasons, this needs to happen a few times a year. It is a big mistake of many professionals and leaders to only realign and reflect when a problem arises or for New Year’s resolutions. Be proactive and protect your organization by pausing and fine tuning often!