Many of us have just come back from holiday and need to quickly adjust to the new year of work that is rolling out ahead of us.
No sooner are the Christmas and New Year decorations packed away then we are packing up our work bags. This year a horrendous storm brought a premature end to some people’s holidays. In saying that we have also had some fabulous weather, so we hope you’ve been able to get out and soak up the sun.
Over the years we’ve got to know many successful BNI members. Two things often unite them: organisation and planning. It’s easy to relax into the first month back at BNI and work, but the truth is the most successful members are always busy during this part of the year.
There are 3 key tasks that successful members are busy completing during January:
- Setting business intentions and goals for 2018
- Estimating thank you for closed business monthly totals they would like to achieve for the upcoming year
- Scheduling 1-2-1s with other members
Top tips for goal setting this New Year in BNI
Take some time on your goal setting this year at BNI. Talk to other members about their goals and set aside some undisturbed time to reflect on what’s most important to you in the year ahead, and periodically, to revisit those goals.
Be thorough and clear, and pick a short list — no more than five key goals for the year.
Think about goals in terms of change – what are going to do differently with your role or business in 2018?
Use these changes to prompt your new goals; achieving your goals will create the change in your life and business you would like to see in 2018. Setting goals in this way can be exciting because it points out how your situation may improve.
Blind spots
When you’re setting your goals remember to clean out your blind spots. Every business and person has them. Here again, you can and should draw on your colleagues, reports and fellow BNI members for help. You don’t know what you don’t know so use data from previous years to help you clear out your blind spots and chart a clear course forward. The turn of the year offers a perfect opportunity for you to evaluate your performance, and adjust course.
How has your business ecosystem — market, products, customers, providers, partners, costs, competition or regulatory landscape — changed since last year? How well did your strategy track in response — or in leading those changes? And what do you need to adjust in 2018?
Answering these questions will help you set your goals for 2018 and put your best foot forward at BNI and in business – start now!
