Working Backwards

By Katie B. Smith, Executive Coach and CWCC Member

One thing I see over and over with small business owners is that they don’t start with the goal in mind. In order for us to create the revenue, customers, products, and growth for our businesses, we have to envision how we want it to look when we are done.  If we create a mental picture of the end result we want to achieve, we can then begin to clarify the steps needed to get there. I call these “baby steps.” The baby steps are the action items we need to do or delegate to reach the goal.  Baby steps make the process less overwhelming and more manageable.

Here are some steps to consider when laying out your business goals:

1. Divide your goals into categories; marketing/networking, clients & services, business operations, business finances, skills and personal growth, attitude and outlook
2. Write at least three goals under each category that you want to achieve in the next year
3. List three baby steps under each goal
4. Break this into 4 different plans for each quarter of the year

You now have a map of where to direct your energy, time and resources based on the goals you need to achieve for the quarter that will lead to the goals you have set for the year.  Have this plan in a place in your office where you see if often and review it at the end of each quarter.

These steps will help you hold yourself accountable for making your business goals reality.

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Katie works with individual executives, small business owners and teams to identify tangible goals with real personal and professional meaning. Her coaching methodology moves her clients from operating from their Blind spots to operating from their Brilliance by defining, practicing and owning who they are and the goal they wish to achieve. A member of the International Coach Federation (ICF) and a graduate of Coach U, Katie lives in Denver, CO and coaches clients all over the globe.