Welcome Continued...

This changing of the seasons also reminds me of the planning cycle in business - reviewing the year that is coming to a close and planning for the year to come.  When Christopher and I pack away the sailboat for the winter, some of the tasks involve:

• Surveying the equipment to see what needs replacing
• Updating or repairing equipment
• Cleaning the sailboat and giving it a tune up before it is stored

This is not unlike what we do in business.  You likely take stock of the team, your equipment, and your resources and see where there is room for improvement and change.  Acknowledging success and accomplishments is an essential element of the review cycle.  When you review your year and begin planning for 2010, it is helpful to apply the SMARTER Goals method  coined by Peter Drucker (check out Management by Objectives by Drucker).  The SMARTER method is one way of breathing life into your goals, encouraging action and participation.  SMARTER stands for: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely/timeframes, evaluated, and recorded/reported and recognized.