Goal Setting Workshop – Is July a Good Time to Review Your Procurement Roadmap?
Last week I was in a goal setting workshop and realized it was time to review my roadmap.
Don’t most people and organization focus on annual goals?
Aren’t annual goals created later in the calendar year in preparation for the next year?
The answer is yes and no.
The most successful organizations set goals for the next 75 years.
Now you are probably scratching your head and thinking Mike must be celebrating a bit early in the day.
Truly strategic thinkers envision what they want to have happen now.
They also dream about the far future and how their organization can create a legacy.
Like most people, I haven’t put my 75-year goals on paper.
I do set annual goals and I update them periodically.
I like to keep my goals to one page.
I have enjoyed many successes so far this year and have come up short in several areas.
Some consultants recommend that you work on your strengths and others say you should work on your weaknesses.
I don’t know if one approach works better than the other.
What I do know is goal setting and planning is essential to success.
A great friend once told me “if you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.”
The one aspect of evaluation that is challenging for me is examining my successes to figure out what I could have done better.
I admit that I sometimes succeed by accident.
Don’t we all?
My plan for the balance of 2018 includes doing the things that created successes so far this year.
I have also created a list of things that I could have done better even though the results were positive.
For those areas where I didn’t meet my goal, I identified small, measurable steps to improve.
Whether you are running a 10K or a marathon, you do it one step at a time.
If 2018 isn’t turning out like you expected, don’t despair.
This is only the first year of a seventy-five-year journey.
Consider these goals:
- Enhancing competitive advantage
- Reducing cycle times
- Increasing supplier participation and loyalty
- Eliminating manual and workaround processes
- Increase spend under management and minimize rogue spend
It is not surprising that these five goals have priority for most companies I work with.
These are ongoing and strategic goals.
May I suggest one thing if these are your goals or your goals are similar?
Make them specific so they can be measured and set a date to evaluate your progress.
Ask better questions, make changes and 2018 will be your best year ever.
Action Step: If you are uncertain where to start the process of change, a procurement professional like myself can provide guidance and expertise to help your organization achieve the results you want.
If you want to go explore this topic in greater detail, please contact me. I invite you to request 30-minute discovery conversation. In my experience the next step will be apparent at the end of the call. I never assume that what I have to offer will be right for everyone, so don’t expect a sales pitch. You can reach me at 973-936-9672.
If you would like to know more ways to reduce costs without changing the way you do business, simply give me a call or send me an email with your contact information and the best time to reach you.
You Won’t Drift to Success©
Commit to taking the next step.
Until Next Time, I Wish You Great Success in Your Business and in Your Life
Mike Jeffries