This statement may seem to be a direct contradiction of the commonly held business philosophy of, and strong commitment to strategic and business planning.  However, I believe that most business owners, myself included struggle with translating strategic goals into the individual actions necessary to achieve them without some kind of assistance.  This is primarily because of the perceived enormity of the task.  Remember the old adage that the journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step.

This is the reason why the vast majority of business owners I initially deal with, who do actually have a written business plan, blow the dust off it when I ask to see it.  It’s been sitting on the shelf gathering dust, and was usually prepared some time ago to convince the bank to give the owners a loan to start the business.  They have taken the time in the past to document their plan for the future, but then have either lost the motivation, or lacked the skills to break it down into the tasks necessary to achieve their goals and turn their Business Plan into a living, dynamic document.  Sound familiar.  It’s a bit like taking the time to prepare a detailed map and itinerary for an extended holiday, and then heading it off leaving it on the kitchen table, never referring to it again.

It is a researched fact that the major cost to Australian business is a phenomenon known as ‘FTI’ or Failure to Implement.  We take the time to develop plans and strategies for the future.  We even engage consultants and experts to assist us in this process, but then we get caught up with the day-to-day operations of our business and don’t get around to following through and implementing our plans.

Tom O’Toole, the famous ‘Beechworth Baker’, who last year had more than six million customers at his well known bakery, despite being situated in a small country Victorian town of about 2,700 residents, strongly espouses writing down your goals in every part of your business and life regularly and dating them.  It is only by documenting and regularly reviewing your goals that you are ever likely to achieve them.

Daunting as it may sound, the development of a written Business Plan is actually the easy part.  Breaking the Plan down into the individual tasks that need to be completed to achieve the identified strategies and objectives across all areas of the business, and then having the discipline to follow it through and complete the tasks is far more difficult…but eminently rewarding.  This is actually where you need to put the majority of your focus.

Looking at our goals is motivating, but also overwhelming for most of us mere mortals.  It is only by concentrating our energies and focus on completing the identified individual tasks necessary to achieve those goals, that we are most likely to achieve them. 

In other words if we articulate our goals and objectives, and then take the time to identify the tasks necessary to achieve them, including allocating responsibility to an individual and a timeline for completion, we are far more likely to end up where we planned to be, provided we are disciplined in completing all the tasks.

For most of us completing a task is far more easily achievable than trying to measure our progress towards a strategic goal.  Our philosophy is that if you complete all the tasks you have identified in the rollout of your Business Plan, you maximize your chances of achieving your goals.

In the end it doesn’t matter what system you use….Just do it!  

Geoof Butler ==>> Vestra Business Advantage