Now that everyone is back in the saddle and 2018 is well underway, here are my Three Key (and Critical!) Tips for a Successful 2018:
Execution. Check out my blog post on Focus. This year (and every year) you must Get Stuff Done (GSD). It is crucial that you are very disciplined, that you execute on your plan and strategies and that you turn ideas into action.
Focus on the fundamentals and what you do best. What is in your wheelhouse? Hire (and retain) the right talent, build a winning culture, have an extreme customer focus and be disciplined in everything you do. In short, Execute.
Trust. We live in a noisy world. Fake news, fake this and fake that. It is important to work on building the highest levels of trust with your colleagues, employees, customers, suppliers and the communities where you and your employees live and work. Show that you are competent, that you care and that you are genuine; and develop an authentic connection with those in your sphere. Be reasonable and do everything possible to build and maintain the highest level of trust.
Change. Change happens so fast these days that it can be overwhelming. And the rate of change will continue to increase. New industries are being created overnight and existing industries are at the risk of being obsolete tomorrow.
Embrace and drive change within your organization and yourself. If you aren’t learning, growing and adapting, your business likely won’t make it. Technology continues to change the way we do business. Tech-savvy Millennials are steering the boat on customer marketing and acquisition and they differ from Baby Boomers in how they approach employment, relate to industry and want to do business. It is crucial to stay on top of these generational trends and adapt accordingly.
What can you do that will change your business? Yourself? Identify areas where you want to learn more as a business owner. What is the consistent customer experience you want to offer all your customers, no matter how they interact with you?
While Change is an entire blog post in itself, to be successful in 2018 you must focus on change, rejuvenation of your business and continued differentiation from a broadening set of competitors.
Leave us your thoughts on what you will be doing to achieve success in 2018!
By Blair Koch