Last week, we learned that by backwards mapping and setting SMART goals, we can effectively goal-set for our businesses. As we mentioned, backwards mapping is a technique used to teachers in order to plan their curriculum for the year. Let’s take a look at how to utilize this teaching tool to set goals for your business!
Begin With the End in Mind
To begin backwards mapping, think about what your ultimate goal is. Think big! Do you want to win a particular award? Generate a certain number in sales? Do you have a customer service or employee retention goal? Do you want to increase your number of employees, and if so, by how many? Take some time and consider what your ultimate business goal is. Then, write it down and share it with your team. Don’t forget to make it SMART!
Take a Step Back
Now that you’re set your ultimate goal, thinking about ALL the things that need to happen in order for that goal to be achieved can be overwhelming! Don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis!
All you have to do is take one step back from your ultimate goal, and decide what task you need to complete immediately preceding it. Then, write that task as a SMART goal. For example, if your ultimate goal is to hire three new employees by the end of the year, the preceding SMART goal would look something like “By November 30, I will interview 4 potential employees”, and the goal before that might be “By October 15, I will post a detailed job description on 3 job-seeking sites such as Monster and LinkedIn.” You can continue to set short-term goals all the way back to your starting point.
Keeping You Accountable
Part of goal-setting is having someone help to keep you focused and accountable. An accountability partner is a phrase typically used in conjunction with diet and weight loss, but having an accountability partner in business can help you reach your goals. A good accountability partner can be a business partner, a spouse, or anyone who will constructively help you reach your goals. Studies show that sharing goals with accountability partners and/or groups helps you to achieve them more quickly! Find someone with whom to share your backwards mapping thoughts and ideas.
Stuck on backwards mapping your course or social media marketing plan? Let OmniBiz Services help!