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About Coast river business journal. (Astoria, OR) 2006-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 2022)
COAST RIVER BUSINESS JOURNAL BUSINESS COMMENT JANUARy 2022 • 13 Want better results in 2022? Try planning only for the next 90 days By Jessica Newhall Clatsop Community College Small Business Development Center Happy New Year! If you are anything like me, the change in cal- endar from December to January has tradition- ally offered a chance to turn a page on the past, look to the horizon and think about what I want to accomplish. As a small business advisor who typically works with clients in January to plan out the year ahead with financial forecasts, business plans and market- ing schedules — I now find that suggesting long- range planning is usually met with blank stares or resigned “planning is pointless” responses. It’s understandable. This seemingly never-ending roller coaster of the pandemic coupled with serious workforce shortages has created an environment where plan- ning seems like an exercise in futility. Yet, an absence of planning can lead to serious challenges around cash flow management, reac- tive marketing, poor supply chain management and costly human resources decisions. It can also create a feeling of inertia where one day blends into the next without ever having a sense of accomplishment. Recognizing the incredible importance of plan- ning, I’ve been thinking critically about how to tackle this during times of uncertainty. Recently, an episode of an entrepreneurship pod- cast I listen to — “Multiplier Mindset,” by Dan Sul- livan, founder and president of The Strategic Coach — came to mind. Sullivan’s focus is to teach busi- ness owners how to maximize their potential in both their personal and professional lives. In the episode, he shares an exercise that he uses with his clients to help them gain clarity and focus. It’s perfect for these uncertain times because it focuses on positive reinforcement and energiz- ing oneself (or one’s organization) around 90-day windows in which you evaluate performance and set goals along four questions designed to: • Celebrate recent successes • Tap into what is exciting you right now • Focus only on what things you are in control of • Identify short-term wins Abraham Lincoln said, “The best way to pre- dict your future is to create it.” So, get started now by creating the business and life you want. Grab a pen and paper and spend the next 30 minutes with me thinking through the questions that follow. You can choose to do your personal goals or your organization’s or both (I encourage doing them separately). Question 1: Past 90 days — “Winning achieve- ments? Looking back over the past quarter, what are the things that make you the proudest about what you have achieved?” (Sullivan) Rather than identifying things you need to change, which can be a negative mindset, this ques- tion is designed to allow you to identify what has been working so that you can instead replicate suc- cess. This allows for positive reinforcement and can be particularly useful in helping coach and motivate staff and others around you. Question 2: Right now — “What’s hot? When you look at everything that’s going on today, which areas of focus and progress are making you feel most confident?” (Sullivan) Working on your business in addition to work- ing in your business is a daily practice. Each day counts and we need to be able to move through our Jessica Newhall days with a sense of accomplishment. For business owners, it’s also important to have a perspective of what is happening outside the business that could impact future success. What’s fun or trending? What opportunities currently exist that you could be taking advantage of? Question 3: Next 90 days — “Bigger and Bet- ter? Now, looking ahead at the next quarter, what new things are giving you the greatest sense of excitement?” (Sullivan) Thinking about where you or your organization want to be in three or five years can be almost para- lyzing because it seems too far out. Instead, you can think about what you are excited about and what is energizing you in the short term! Question 4: 90-day jumps — “What are the five new ‘jumps’ you can now achieve that will make your next 90 days a great quarter?” (Sullivan) This is the goal setting portion of the exercise — what are five achievable and measurable things that you could accomplish in the next 90 days? STUMPED? I RECOMMEND A QUICK WALK OR A WORKOUT TO CLEAR yOUR HEAD. JUST A 15 TO 20 MINUTE BRISK WALK, ESPECIALLy ON ONE OF OUR CHILLy WINTER DAyS, CAN SPARK THE ENERGy yOU’LL WANT FOR THIS EXERCISE. I’M HERE TO SUPPORT yOUR EFFORTS TO HAVE yOUR MOST SUCCESSFUL yEAR yET AND WOULD LOVE TO HEAR HOW THIS EXERCISE WORKS FOR yOU. PLEASE EMAIL ME TO SHARE yOUR THOUGHTS. If you have spent five minutes writing out responses to each question and then another 15 to 20 minutes reviewing, you will have created a very useful roadmap for yourself and/or your business — in under an hour! It is worth stressing the importance of doing this as a written exercise as it gives you some- thing you can visually see, creates accountability and generates a written record to refer to when you need additional focus, clarity and energy. Then, in another 90 days, or whenever you feel you need a boost, you can repeat the process. Stumped? I recommend a quick walk or a workout to clear your head. Just a 15 to 20 min- ute brisk walk, especially on one of our chilly win- ter days, can spark the energy you’ll want for this exercise. I’m here to support your efforts to have your most successful year yet and would love to hear how this exercise works for you. Please email me to share your thoughts. Jessica Newhall is the associate director and Small Business Management Program manager for the Clatsop Community College Small Business Development Center. She can be reached at jnewhall@clatsopcc.edu ... Life Happens y We’re Here! That’s Wh Our friendly and dedicated Physicians and Physician Assistants are available for all of your routine healthcare needs, not just for emergency situations! If you have an on the job injury, suffered injuries in a car accident, or you are suffering from a headache, toothache, earache, backache, any illness or injury, are in need of a refill of your prescription medications, or even a sports physical or DOT physical, our dedicated staff is here to assist you! 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