The year 2025 has kicked off! Are you clear on what you will focus on first?
In the autumn, you have likely prepared an action plan, assessed the risks and opportunities the upcoming year brings, drafted budgets, and hopefully aligned all of this with your long-term strategy.
Is it clear to you and your team how you will move forward in the new year? What will you prioritize, and what might you do differently than before?
Especially in strongly growth-oriented companies, there is no time to wait or to keep doing things as they’ve always been done. Starting the year in the same old way predicts that results will remain at the same level, and passive waiting does nothing to improve your market position. Beginning or refining planning in the early part of the year can leave operations idle for several months, at worst, making the year’s goals difficult to achieve right from the start.
If the steps are unclear, now is the last chance to take corrective action and avoid the pitfalls that come with early-year passivity.
Return to your strategy – what must be achieved, and what actions and timelines does it require? Work backward from the end result: what must be ready at the very start of the year to ensure your goals have a real chance of being met?
Focus on the most critical matters. Which actions will truly have the greatest impact? Once you identify these key 20% of actions, focus exclusively on them. The classic rule applies here as well: 20% of actions will likely deliver 80% of the desired results.
Communicate the priorities clearly and ensure they are at the top of your team’s list as well.
It may also be a good idea to break the first quarter into shorter periods, for example, monthly segments. Planning for shorter time frames can be done with sufficient detail, which strengthens focus on the desired outcomes. The actions taken in the first month will have the greatest impact, so pay particular attention to January.
The results of the early part of the year often reflect the outlook for the entire year. A strong start sets the pace for the following months and, ultimately, the entire year. It will also carry you through the challenging months and boost the motivation of your staff to push toward the year’s goals.
