Every season offers the opportunity for joy and excitement, but this season captures my greatest interest. It is delightful to watch kids and grandkids dig into their Christmas stockings. Their squeals of excitement and the ecstasy on their faces as they open their gifts, fill the room with laughter, merriment, and love.
On a broader scale, the aromas, adornments, and general attitude from house to house or store to store cry for yuletide cheer. Because of its duration (November to January), this season feels even more sacred than Easter. Public places and broadcast songs about Jesus; even in today’s fractious and contentious society, people seem kinder in this season. These are all reasons I look forward to this season, but to be honest, another attraction drives me to relish and even plan for this season.
As the year winds down, I enjoy a year-end wrap-up. I recognize that the geek in me relishes the spreadsheets, but there is a larger development outcome. The year-end wrap-up is both cathartic and anticipatory. It is cathartic to openly and honestly assess your current state. Even if you are short of where you want to be (and face it, everyone often, if not usually, wishes we could be further along), getting honest and real with yourself gives you the latitude to grant yourself grace. It is anticipatory in setting the stage for you to begin thinking forward. Recognizing where your pace is good encourages you to stay the course, and where you are lagging allows you to revamp or rewrite processes and programs.
My wife and I look at our year across multiple facets, including business, health, mission, and family. I’m going to focus this blog on the business facet. Let’s do a great wrap-up of 2023 to set the stage for 2024 planning. I’ll dive into planning with next month’s blog (it’s too much to cram into this one).
Where are you?
Start by taking a clear snapshot of where you are today. Reserve any judgment, either celebration or recrimination, for later. You can build from the following formula or craft from another. Regardless of your formula choice, be holistic.
I build my year-end review on the three pillars of business success: people, product, and process. With Eagles’ Wings Business Coaching, the following summarizes my review by pillar.
People
I allow thirty minutes each to assess my direct reports’ performance compared to their assigned responsibilities. I assign them grades of A, B, or C. After I’ve scored all of my direct reports, I allot an hour to assess myself. A huge part of my evaluation is driven by how effectively I’ve led my direct reports. I am committed to the concept that everything rises and falls on leadership; any less than pristine scores on their part are a reflection on me.
Product
Everything we do at EWBC is related to our products, so this category covers a wide range. We insist that indicators and measures (KPIs) be assigned to each of our key processes. Our management by KPI makes this assessment easy.
Our top-level KPIs converge to make a powerful dashboard to place beside our income statement and balance sheet to complete our product assessment.
Process
Throughout the year, we are tuning and fine-tuning our processes. Still, we find value in a year-end process. Primarily, we check the date of each process’s last revision. Occasionally, we’ll find a unit manual that hasn’t been updated for twelve months or more. These get attention before year-end.
We have a new measure this year. We are pleased with the programs and systems supporting our operations. Starting this year, however, we’ve chosen three systems (in 2024, CRM, Bookkeeping, and Scheduling) to investigate. We want to know if there are new and possibly improved options.
Choose the measures and programs that best suit you and your organization. Dedicate some time. Dust off the tape measure or scales, and record your current state.
For an alternate, guided assessment program, check out EWBC’s SOAR Diagnostic.
Where did you start?
If you completed this exercise last December, you have your baseline. If this is your first year, you must stretch your memory back to December 2022. You likely have financial reports but may have to use your calendar, notes, CRM, etc., to jog your memory.
Create a side-by-side comparison of last year to your current assessment.
Wrap it up in a pretty bow.
Do you like your trajectory? How does 2023 measure up? Look at the difference you’ve made this year. Statisticians call this the Delta; you can think of it as your trajectory.
If your trajectory is good, is there room or reason to improve? What can you add to your process if your trajectory is light?
Set aside some time this month to assess and wrap 2023. Adorn the package with a beautiful bow. Set it under the tree and admire it as the present it is. Your organization has delightful potential. Christmas morning for your business is when you open the package and architect your plans to recognize or exceed that potential in 2024.
We at Eagles’ Wings Business Coaching are here to help you. Schedule a 30-minute Strategy Session to brainstorm ways that we might help you achieve that potential. Or if you have a problem and want to identify a solution, schedule a 60-minute Coaching Session. Either of these sessions is complimentary. We love to help and serve.
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!