Next week unofficially starts the beginning of the holiday season. It’s hard to believe, but there are only about 25 business days left until the end of the calendar year. So it is “Crunch Time!” This time of the year is filled with wrapping up not only presents, but on the business side, all the open ends of the goals established last fall for 2025. At the same time, we are reviewing our 2025 progress and setting business plans and objectives for 2026. This is the time of year when our parallel processing is put to the test.
Let’s start by recommitting to 2025 and putting the necessary energy into closing out the year on a positive note. If the year has been one of great growth, then keep the momentum and make it the best year ever. If the year is not panning out as originally planned, don’t toss in the towel and defer your efforts to next year. You have no idea what could pop up and challenge your organization in 2026, so let’s get the best out of 2025.
While your team stays fully focused on pursuing 2025 goals and objectives, leadership needs time to separate itself from daily routines in order to understand what has taken place so far in 2025 and how those lessons learned will shape 2026. This knowledge should prompt the decisions necessary to position your organization for not only growth and success next year but also put the business on a platform of sustained development for years to come.
Too often, annual strategic and business planning is viewed in too short an interval. It is viewed in 12-month cycles rather than strategically building on multiple cycles of annual contributions. There is a legitimate discussion that the marketplace is constantly shifting and, therefore, shorter planning cycles are required. It might be semantics, but if your strategy is designed for, say, 3 years, then the annual planning cycle is not a complete replanning (unless needed), but a refinement of the original plan based on new and current data that has been uncovered by executing your plan. When the original strategy includes enough insights to address changes with plan “B” or “C”, etc., this allows the entire organization to continue its pursuit while adjustments are made along the path to accomplishment.
It is crucial that during these strategy and business planning sessions, the organization’s Core Purpose, Core Values, Vision, Mission, and Key Accountability expectations are clearly articulated and front and center. Any deviation from these elements is a recipe for disaster.
This week, as you continue your pursuit of 2025 goals and refine your strategies and plans for 2026, invest in your organization with the proper time and attention to detail. There is no shortcut to ultimate success. It requires discipline, routine, commitment, and many other characteristics to bring leadership and your team to the next highest level on the journey up the success mountain.
When skilled professional mountain climbers take on the ascent of Mt. Everest, they enlist a Sherpa, a Guide, to assist them in their journey. Now is the time to reach out to JKL Associates and engage your business-building journey, Promise Guide. Not sure what that entails? Let’s have a no-obligation conversation. Contact us at MI (313) 527-7945 or FL (407) 984-7246
Journey On!
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QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS – EMAIL US AT PARTNERS@JKLASSOCIATES.COM OR CALL OUR OFFICES – MI AT (313) 527-7945 FL AT (407) 984-7246
Celebrating 30 years of Delivering on “Promises”
