Planning to Succeed

Let’s talk about what’s keeping you up at night.

“We’re going into the fourth quarter and we’re not achieving any of the goals we set at the beginning of the year. Our plan was worthless. In this market and this economy, what good is planning anyway?”

This quote is fairly representative of what I'm hearing from many agents. There are really two parts to this question. First, when you plan, your efforts are never wasted. No plan, no matter how well it is developed, will ever work out exactly as conceived – even in a stable economy and a hard market. President Dwight Eisenhower said that plans are useless but that planning is everything. The planning process prepares you to meet challenges and find opportunities when things change. And things always change.

The hidden question here is what can you do when you’re not achieving your goals. It’s time to look at your plan again. It’s not too late to make adjustments to both your expectations and your results.

Identify two things you can do for rest of the year that will have a positive effect on your results. And do them!

If you need help with your planning or your results, let's talk. No strings and no charge. Call me or send an email.

Keep Your Eye on the Ball

It's baseball ball season coming on fast and soon Little League will be starting up again. I'm not so much into baseball as I am into watching my grandson play. I'll sit in the stands and watch him swing for the fences - missing a few - while his father stands on the sidelines yelling for him to "Keep your eye on the ball!" That's what I'm suggesting to my business clients, too.

There are so many distractions now - and most of them negative. The market is still too soft. Retention is off. Revenues are down. It's oh so easy to get caught up in the media frenzy about companies laying off workers or closing their doors.

Now, more than ever is the time to keep your eye on what your business is all about. Now is not the time to thrash around looking for some new strategy or some silver bullet program that will distract you from doing what you do best. Now is the time to take a look at your strategic vision and the plan you have in place to reach your goals. Do the tactical details need adjustment? Or do you just need to focus - to keep your eye on the ball?