Part 3 of 3: This One Thing Will Build Your Business in the New Year – Evaluation

We’ve been exploring the importance of evaluating yourself and your business as a way to prepare for and grow your business in the new year. In part 1 of our three-part series, we walked through self-evaluation; part 2 covered the business evaluation.

Now that your evaluation process is complete, what comes next? 

In this, the final part of the series, we’re providing a framework you can follow or adapt to help you prioritize your goals, create an actionable plan and communicate any needed changes. 

Organize Your Results

After an evaluation, you often end up with a lot of ideas, problems, opportunities and wish-list items. It can be overwhelming when trying to decide what to start first. Try grouping similar items based on the categories below.

• Quick wins or low-hanging fruit that can be addressed immediately (Refreshing your packet of moving tips you give to customers or adding a QR code on your business cards that links to your reviews page)  

• Larger strategic projects or goals that will take more coordination or financial planning (Implementing standardized driver training, developing a winter season marketing plan with your NEX REALTOR® partners or introducing a new claims prevention workflow to reduce damage rates) 

• Long-term vision items that aren’t necessary right now, but you don’t want to lose track of (Exploring expanding your services, planning to replace older trucks in your fleet in the next five years)

Prioritize What Matters Most

Many factors determine which items on your list are priorities. Consider ranking items using the criteria below (or another method). Through prioritization, you could determine that investing in a better lead-response system has a greater short-term impact than redesigning your warehouse layout, although both are important.

• Impact on revenue growth

• Opportunity to improve client experience

• Cost, time and other resources required

• Effect on workflow or specific individuals

• Availability of resources to meet the goal

• Timing — would some changes be better aligned with seasonal demand or slower periods?

With your items prioritized, you are ready to create the plan. Keep in mind that if it first requires buy-in from others to help you, jump down to the communication section below before putting the plan in place.

Put a Plan in Place

It’s up to you how much detail you put into your plan and whether you ask others to help you. Businesses around the world have found that when plans include Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound goals, there is a greater likelihood of success. Search online for “SMART goals,” and you’ll find plenty of helpful guidance for writing individual or team goals.

Include checkpoints in your plan to provide opportunities to redefine or update any part of it.

Communicate the Plan to Others

As we all know, change — even if it’s perceived as good — is difficult for people. Your goals may affect relationships, work schedules, routes, responsibilities, financial expectations or the sense of predictability. If your plans could impact employees, clients, partners or others, it’s good management to communicate those changes to the affected parties. How you share the information is up to you.

The list below offers one way to communicate your plan.

• Begin by reiterating the current mission, vision and goals of your business.

• Tell employees how they have met the mission, vision and goals and brought the company to where it is. Be specific; people want to know what they do matters.

• Vision-cast the future of the company; be enthusiastic and understanding.

• Explain the evaluation and findings, and perhaps why certain people were involved.

• Detail what will change; acknowledge the challenges and benefits the change will bring.

• Respond to emotions and concerns with empathy and openness.

For example, if you’re developing new packing procedures, adjusting crew schedules or updating your reporting process, give the teams context behind the decisions you’re making and ask for their insight before implementing any change.

Accountability

Some changes may require teams to reorganize, acquire new skills or learn new processes. Check in with those implementing the changes, and use the time for open discussions, learning, making adjustments, providing guidance and celebrating progress. Change becomes easier and success more attainable when people know whether they are on the right track and if they are making a difference.

The Strength in Evaluations

Taking intentional time to self-evaluate or reflect on your business is a valuable exercise that can build your business. Evaluations are not meant to point out flaws; they’re to reveal potential. When you prioritize what matters, create an actionable plan and bring people along with you, real transformation and growth become possible.