Leadership can be defined as influencing others to accomplish organizational goals. Management without leadership is like aligning the deck chairs on the Titanic — it seemed important at the time but didn’t really matter in the big picture. Running a business, being a project manager or superintendent are all jam-packed with day-to-day demands and pressures. Sometimes it can be very hard to stay focused on the big picture and long-term goal. Customers and employees are constantly demanding answers, but no one is asking, what’s your long plan? Business is very strong in the U.S. and many businesses are making the mistake of merely focusing on short-term needs. One reason our PROSULT™ Networking contractors do so well is that we force goal setting and review them at each annual meeting. All good things come to end, or at least a slowdown, so now would be a good time to develop business goals and invest in your future.
What is planning? Planning is the visualization of your goals and objectives. Who is retiring in your business? Are there people who are underperforming and need to be replaced? Is your work force aging? Do you have a system for recruiting and developing employees? Who are your target customers? What systems and software needs to be updated? These are all examples of the questions a progressive organization should be asking and preparing for.