As usual, the dawn of each year becomes a propitious moment to set ourselves short-term goals and, at best, commit to them within the next twelve months.
Beyond the jokes that circulate on social networks, and that make mention of the difference between ideals and reality (for example, failing to fulfill the intention of "Changing the world" for another of "Don't screw up") my proposal in this article is to urge entrepreneurs to become aware of the key importance of planning for their business; and that this action is not only in the statements but is carried out with all that it implies.
Due to my training as a psychologist and my experience in the field of organizations, I am convinced that good planning is capable of significantly reducing the levels of anxiety so common in people who occupy hierarchical positions, and that cause so much discomfort.
Let's start: the SME entrepreneur often boasts of his intuition. And, considering the results it achieves, in many cases it is necessary to recognize the truth in it. However, intuition requires a rationality quota if it is to maximize profits and minimize losses.
That being the case, once the decision has been made to sit down and think about next year, we can use simple and very useful methods. Among the best known, there are two that I consider key and they are the Gantt and PERT diagrams.
For those who are not familiar with them, I will say that the first consists of a graphic diagram in which a list of activities is made on the left and in the columns on the right we will locate the months or weeks in which we want to divide the year. Then bars are drawn from the start to the end of each task as appropriate to its duration. In this way, at a glance we will have the graphic representation of the works and their duration, which allows precise monitoring and control of them.
Example HR Area:
Example Gantt Chart
Regarding the Pert Method, it is similar to the previous one (in that it refers to tasks and deadlines) but its representation is different. It also proposes simple calculations to estimate the duration of each activity, discriminating between minimum, maximum and average times. It also shows whether one activity depends on another.
Example:
PERT Example - Critical Path Method
As you can see the numbers identify the order and the letters represent the tasks. Likewise, the boxes are filled with the estimates of the aforementioned times.
And once the method is chosen, it will be necessary to design what our key management indicators will be, if we no longer have them.
There is no fear of numbers or measurements. Conversely. It is true that the Excel tables do not have that quota of lyricism and mischief appreciated by many businessmen, but they are irreplaceable.
Indicators such as Stock Management, Absenteeism, Rotation, Employee Productivity Degree or Balance Point become indispensable allies to guide the leader on the path to achieving his set goals. Having roadside beacons allows words like business plans, budgets, and goals to become measurable and observable realities.
It is necessary to identify these parameters because they will be the ones that show if our business moves forward, backwards or remains static.
In summary, it is about taking advantage of the available methodological tools to add sustainability and predictability to our business.
