2014 After Action review

2014 After Action Review

And so it is another year passes and we enjoy the opening of 2015. No doubt crossing that line in the sand, as the clock passed to 0001hrs many set the resolution to change, commit, get focused and achieve their goals. Here’s the thing, what underpins the why, the drive to change, do things differently? What drives the decision in the first place? Is it a level of dissatisfaction, not managing to achieve what you set out 12 months previously? Setting the bar too high and being unable to reach it?

I firmly believe in the formula for success ‘Dream – Goal – Learn – Plan – Act’ and when it is fully applied it will result in success. I’m also a firm advocate of ‘feedback not failure’, failure is a state of mind, whilst feedback can open your eyes to different opportunities. This has shaped my dreams for 2015 and set my personal and business goals, From my military service I have continued to reap the benefits from taking a look at the rear view mirror.  Conducting the After Action Review (AAR).

In the military context the after action review forms the critical part of the planning and execution cycle, to put it into context it is the ability to revisit, review and learn from the actions and experiences of specific activity over periods of time. The AAR is a function which is effectively applied at all levels from the operational end of tour AAR or short training exercise AAR. It isn't the role of the senior officers (CEO),rather a collective review conducted at all levels. It enables a complete detailed review in order to build on lessons learnt, best practice and ensure the entire organisation applies the findings. The key to the success of AAR is the application of the recommendations and conclusions in the following planning cycle. It also majors on the effect of experiences from all levels and takes a 360 view.

And so after a year it is time to conduct my after action review. What does your after action review look like? As I review my business plan and my personal aspirations from 2014 it allows me to make informed decisions for 2015. Looking towards my dreams for 2015 and beyond I can see, with clarity where and what I will aspire to and achieve in the long term; to be precise 4 years from now, and indeed having a vision to 10 years from now.

Looking back over 2014 there are some simple pointers to consider as you look to the future: 

• What are the real big dreams and how much closer has 2014 brought you to them.
• Have you defined the little dream? Remember it’s not all about the big stuff, the little things make a big difference in the long run and lead to achieving the big dreams.
• With clarity in your dreams you can then strive to set the goals to achieve them.
•  Make sure your goals are SMART.
• Specific, when making your goal be as specific as you can in what it is.
• Measurable, how will you measure progress?
• Achievable, you must be able to achieve the goal. No point in setting out to achieve the unachievable!
• Results orientated, having a distinctive outcome.
• Time based, without setting a time to have the goal achieved it will simply be something to do.
• In order to achieve the goals what do you need, what’s the learning required:
• I may need to do more of…….
• Which may mean I need to stop or do less of……
• I may need to associate or meet with…..
• I may need to stop associating or meeting with……
• I may need to learn……
• I may need to read……
• I may need to be focused on…..
• I may need to have greater self-discipline with…..
• I may need to commit to…..

·        With the learning the plan can be shaped to achieve the goals.

·        All that is left is to act.

So how 2014 was and what can you learn to further your journey towards your goals in 2015 and your dreams beyond?

Here's looking to the future.

Happy New Year 

WHY DO I NEED A BUSINESS COACH

Why Should You Have a Business Coach?

 

 

A Business Coach is just like a sporting coach. A sporting coach pushes an athlete to achieve optimum performance, provides support when they are exhausted and teaches the athlete to execute plays that their competition does not anticipate.

A sporting coach will make you run more laps than you feel like. A sporting coach will tell it like it is. And a sporting coach will listen.

The role of the Business Coach is to coach business owners to improve their business through guidance, support and encouragement. They help the owners of small and medium sized businesses with their sales, marketing, management, team building and so much more. Just like a sporting coach, your Business Coach will make you focus on the game.

The owners of small to medium sized businesses find it hard enough to keep pace with all the changes and innovations going on in today's modern world, let alone to find the time to devote to sales, marketing, systems, planning and team management, and then to run their businesses as well!

As the world of business moves faster and becomes more competitive, having a Business Coach is no longer a luxury; it has become a necessity.  Your Business Coach at ActionCOACH Northwest Houston is trained to not only show you how to increase your business revenues and profits but also how to develop your business so that you as the owner can work less and relax more.

Your Business Coach will become your marketing manager, your sales director, your training coordinator; your confidant, your mentor. Your ActionCOACH will help you make your dreams come true ...

 

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The Why

The Why Guy, one of TEDs talk top 20 for good reason.

Come On Get Your Goals Set & Realise Your Dreams

 

Read a great book and wanted to share the philosophy with you all; 7 Strategies for Wealth and happiness by Jim Rohn.

To keep it really simple just follow these instructions, however before I get started a health warning! Don’t read on unless you really do want to move your life in a direction you aspire to, you want to achieve, you have dreamt of and feels right for you. Tired of that negativity in your mind telling you ‘not to be daft, you’ll never achieve that, who are you trying to kid, let’s get back to reality ‘ or you ‘so call friends’ telling you to be realistic, there are more important things to deal with, it’s a nice idea BUT!

Let’s remember dreaming is a right we inherited as a child, dreaming of what you were going to get for your Birthday or Christmas, what you were going to be when you grew up! What happen, when did you lose the ability to dream and by virtue change and take control and responsibility for your life? Maybe it’s because we are not happy with a label like dream, it’s too fanciful, too fairy tale and not realistic! OK let’s put a ‘grown up’ name to it, let’s call that dream a goal. The biggest difference having grown up is realising there are ways and means to realise a goal or a dream.  We didn’t know what would be involved with becoming an astronaut as child, however we have a better idea today; probably a few scientific degrees, I guess being able to fly, maybe fit and healthy. Now clearly that sounds simple enough, but we can all see that alone is a great deal of work and commitment. The point is you are all able to achieve our goals once we know where we want to go.

So what? This is about choice, deciding to do something different, if that you then this simple exercise is as good a starting point as any………READ ON>>>>>

So we are going to have a brain dump! First step is to find yourself a piece of paper and a pen. Got it GOOD, now divide the page into 6. Top left write BE, Top right write DO, the left to right in the remaining boxes SEE, HAVE, GO and finally bottom right SHARE:

 

 Now this is the good part, don't get into a 'flat spin' or 'too in depth' just start writing and write down your goals for the next 10 years under these headings.

What do I want to BE?

What do I want to DO?

What do I want to SEE?

What do I want to HAVE?

Where do I want to GO?

What do I want to SHARE?

The key here is not top write to much detail, the the saying goes 'keep it simple stupid'! So don't write lengthy descriptions, just write a brief memory jogger. "I want a Porches 4S" as 4S.

So how long should this take...well no more than 15 minutes, there will be time to refine and reflect in due course. The important thing is to write what comes naturally.

Next you'll need to write the number of years it is going to take you to achieve each of the goals. Don't be too definitive round it up or down to years, general 1, 3, 5 or 10. Now just pop the number with each of the goals. What's important here is to ensure you have balance in your forecasting. There's little point to having lots of 5 and 10 years goals and no 1 or 3 years, its likely to result in 'just putting things off', postponing what it is you need to get started. Likewise without the long term goals you'll be lacking some long term vision and something to really strive for. At this point you'll end up with multi-layered goals, you'll be able to maintain momentum, as you reach and achieve one goal you'll be already on the way to the next and so on!

Now with all the goals you have written you need to prioritise the top 3 or 4 in each time category. Your now going to distil what each means and represents, you need to write a paragraph on each detailing the following:

• A description of what you want; and be detailed, really tap into your minds eye, relay visualise the goal.
• The reason why you want to achieve or acquire the item, its likely at this point that you will find out if you really want it or its just a passing fancy and not a goal. Bottom line if you cant define why you should class it as a whim and reprioritise and replace it with a goal.

The point here is the real reason is the driving factor the real motivation behind the goal, so spend some time here as this is what will inspire and keep you focused on achieving it.

Once you have completed this process why not have your goals written out and presented nicely in a  journal or diary and then make sure you review them each and every week. Assess what progress you make and measure it, how much closer you are to achievement. Doesn't matter how little it matters that you are ever closer towards realising.

So get writing!

Here Jim talking about Goal Setting:

 

Jim has some great books which will help in your pursuit of your dreams and making them a reality.