Like many of you, I spent a lot of time last week creating goals for 2023. I examined at our 2022 year-to-date numbers and did my best at projecting the final numbers, looked at our rolling three-year proforma and ten-year vision, pulled everything through our Purpose-Mission- Core Values filter, and then used my gut to nail down some pretty impressive goals, if I can be so humble!
Then I returned to my office the next morning to read my “quote of the week” that is posted on the wall to the left of my desk, and I thought I had to start over. After letting the quote settle, I realized that I didn’t need to start from scratch, but I did need to do a little more work. The quote? …
Before Jim Collins became the world-famous author, speaker, and business guru, he had the chance to meet Peter Drucker, the “Man who invented management” according to BusinessWeek Magazine. At the end of the meeting, as Drucker was exiting Collins’s car, he looked back at the young star-struck business consultant and said: “Stop asking yourself how you can be successful. Ask yourself how you can be useful.” Then he closed the door and left.
All the goals I set last week were about success. Of course, if we’re not useful to our clients, we won’t be successful, but there was nothing directly related to being useful. What can we do? What can I do? How can Vector Firm be more useful to our clients and community?
I haven’t finalized the answers yet, but some of the ideas for 2023:
- Invest 300 hours creating content.
- Perform regular “listen and learn” visits to better understand the pulse of the market.
- Provide more free content.
So, how can you be more useful next year? Please don’t misunderstand – you should still set goals for your sales numbers, KPIs, professional development, etc. However, include one or two goals that directly make you more useful. Perhaps making 200 calls next year (four a week) to accounts simply offering to help them and thank them for their business. Maybe you can speak at association meetings or volunteer for those groups?
Whatever it is, make sure at least one goal is about you being useful to your market and community.
