It's halfway through March, and that means if you're a business owner you are already behind on your strategic plans and goals for the year.

Did I get that right?

How did I know?

Because most business owners confuse planning with execution. You spent an energized day in January writing down a list of goals and then headed back to the daily grind. Your list is in a drawer somewhere by February, and by March it's a distant memory.

Here are three reasons these plans fail.

  1. They are built in isolation. I get it, you're used to going it alone, but by including some key employees in planning you increase visibility of the company's goals and get better buy-in from the people that participate.
  2. There is no written plan. You wrote down a list of goals, but there's no context. Having a written, detailed plan is crucial. It helps keep everyone on the same page, and accountable.
  3. There is no accountability. A plan without timelines, assigned actions and regular check-ins isn't a plan. It's hope. You need a structure in place to keep everything front and center so it doesn't get lost in the daily grind.

If you're a business owner and any of this sounds familiar, I can help.