Today, I’d like to share with you a straightforward approach to building an effective Business Plan that you can use and adjust throughout the year ahead. My team and I have coached thousands through this process, and we have repeatedly seen how this type of plan has led to improved clarity and results for those who build it and follow it.
The power of this Business Plan is that it is very specific and personal. It is not meant to replace a larger corporate plan. It answers the following three critical questions for you on a single piece of paper:
- What are my measurable goals for the year?
- What do I need to do each day to reach those goals?
- What improvements do I need to make in the year ahead?
Part One: Outcomes
What goals are you aiming for in the year ahead that are specific and measurable? These are your desired outcomes. You should be able to assign a specific number to each outcome. Your desired outcome could be the number of people served, units built, or units sold. It could be a target for revenue, net income, market share, ROI, or customer satisfaction ratings. The clearer you are on your numbers, the easier it is to identify the behaviors and projects that will be required to achieve those outcomes.
Part Two: The Disciplines of a Champion
What non-negotiable disciplines or behaviors will you repeat over and over in order to have the highest probability of reaching your desired outcomes? Identify three to six disciplines that you will repeat daily or weekly, regardless of how you feel. Examples might include sending five handwritten notes each day, conducting weekly financial reviews, making ten sales calls per day, holding weekly coaching sessions with your direct reports, walking the floor daily, or spending eight hours per week behind the customer counter. The Disciplines of a Champion are very specific. They should be so clear that you can schedule them as appointments in your calendar.
Part Three: Improvements
What three to five specific, one-time projects will you work on in the year ahead that will help you to do your job with more success? These are your improvements, and they differ from disciplines in that they have a finite point of completion. List them out in order of priority and assign a target completion date for each of them. Examples of improvements could be updating your database by March 1, rolling out your new customer service plan by May 15, or hiring two new sales representatives by August 1st. Once you have clarity on each of these projects and how they fit into the overall plan, you can schedule the needed ON Time (or project time) in order for you to complete your improvements.
So there you have it: a simple and personal Business Plan that has the power to cause your behaviors and results to improve. If you review it frequently, you will remain focused in the year ahead.
You are welcome to contact our coaching company, Building Champions, to receive this tool from us as a year-end gift.
May you find clarity about your plans for 2010,
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Tags: Disciplines, Goals, Personal Business Plan
I long the elegant simplicity of this tool Genius!
Thank you Mike!
Nice job. Simple, yet effective. I am sure this format has helped and can help thousands of people, regardless of their position or level in any kind of organization. Thanks Daniel.
Thank you Bill. This tool has helped thousands of professionals ranging from CEO’s to Sales Professionals.
Thanks Daniel. This is very helpful. You’ve made this very straightforward and easy to understand and implement from the top to the bottom of my organization.
You are welcome Jeff. It is a straight forward approach that has helped many in varied positions and companies.
To a great 2010!
Daniel
Thanks Danny,
Clear and straight forward.
Greg Gutierrez
Zen and the Art of Surfing
[…] came across a simple one page business plan from Daniel Harkavy recently, and thought I’d put it to the test. The plan is described in […]
So now several months later, how is the plan working for you?
Hello Daniel,
I went through “Becoming a Coaching Leader” recently and have now procured 3 more copies for my peers from the local book store at Gurgaon, India where I reside and work.
Really a pleasure to read up on the elements of the “Core Four.” Your articulation of the “one page Business Plan” is quite amazing. Also it is great to read up on your posts. One feels inspired !
Thanks,
Deepak
Hello Deepak,
I am so sorry for such a slow reply! I don’t know how I missed your comment but wanted to say thank you for your support and for your wonderful comments! I trust all is well.
[…] I use a One Page Business Plan to manage my staff, my sales team, and help me be a contributing member of our management team at Prudential. My one page plan outlines my goals for the quarter, the activities that I must do on a regular basis to help me reach those goals, and the improvement projects I’m working on during the quarter. I love the one page plan because it summarizes everything that I striving for and need to do and is easy to read and reference. There are so many choices on how to spend our precious time each day. Having the one page plan helps me make the right decisions and stay focused on the high-payoff activities that ensure me the highest probability of success. A great blog post for creating your own one page plan can be found on Daniel Harkavy’s blog, click here. […]
Thanks for pushing this out there! This process has helped many and is so easy to follow.
Assessing the money flow is another essential element within the organization technique format, so as to sustain a regular cash flow to meet the important capital needs. Probability of monetary crisis and also the ways of crisis management must be mentioned in the structure. The company technique should consist from the advertising plans and technique leading to the expansion in the company.