Did you blink and 2013 zipped right by? Don’t worry, it happened to me too. Which means it’s time to start getting ready to win in 2014! Here are five strategies for preparing your organization to win in the year ahead.
-
Get clear on winning (your destination).
Specifically, get very clear on where you’re going and why. When faced with adversity or opportunity, having a crystal-clear definition of winning keeps you from going off in too many directions. It enables clear and consistent decision-making, and makes the best use of your time, talent and resources. When things change very quickly, as they do in today’s hyper-fast markets, it can be easy to fall into a reactive mode. Your definition of winning serves as your north star from which to proactively navigate critical strategic decisions.
-
Stay focused on winning.
Today’s world is full of opportunity and distractions. To stay focused on the goal, make a list of all the major initiatives that no longer fit your definition of winning. Then shut them down! Help employees stay focused by setting clear individual goals that link directly to the organization’s key strategies for winning. Then give ongoing feedback on how they and the organization are doing.
-
Determine what it looks like when you win.
Describe in detail what it will look like when you have won. Ask questions like:
- What attitudes, beliefs, and core values will the organization be living by?
- What skills, knowledge, tools and technologies will we have acquired or enhanced in order to win?
- What organizational structures will be in place?
- What new products or services will we have brought to market?
- How will we be known in the market?
- What will our brand stand for?
-
Ask the right questions.
Once you have a clear picture of what winning looks like, use “success visioning” to guide you to your destination. This involves asking a series of future, active, past tense questions that presume the target has already been achieved. Remember: it’s not about if you get there, but when you get there.
-
Play to win!
Today’s markets reward boldness, so dare to take risks. Look for opportunities that offer huge upsides with minimal downside, and outline ways to mitigate or minimize the risks. Get comfortable with a certain amount of failure, because when you take risks you will fail some of the time. When you do fail, fail fast and learn from your mistakes.
Strive to develop new sources of data and new ways of looking at your customers, your market and your industry. Most important, let go of the idea that what made you successful today will continue to make you successful tomorrow. Your competitors are constantly striving to get bigger, faster and stronger. To stay ahead, your products, services, and ways of doing business must continually evolve.
If you’re not playing to win, you’re hanging out to not lose…or worse.
___________
Where do you want to be in 2014, and what are you willing to do to be a winner?
