Why clarity beats noise as you plan next year

The last weeks of the year always pull leaders in two ways. You want to finish well yet you can feel next year rapidly approaching. I see this each December when owners talk about long days, short tempers and a wish to slow down and enjoy the run up to  Christmas. The thing that helps most is clarity. Not a grand plan, just pause, clear the fog and ask the right questions.

What is keeping you awake as you try to close the year and plan the next?

Most owners tell me it is the strain of ‘too much and not enough’. Too much noise, too many fires and not enough time or clear thought. List the three things that concern you most. Not ten. Three. They will point you to what you care about and what fears sit in the back of your mind.

Do you have a clear view of what must change, and what must stay the same, in the first quarter?

When I worked with a £20m firm last year the MD kept shifting plans. The team tried to guess which line to follow and pace fell. Once we agreed on three fixed aims for Q1 the whole mood changed. Pick what must shift early in the year and what must hold firm. Small steps, not grand claims.

Where are you reacting to noise rather than acting on a plan?

Most leaders I meet say they spend half their week putting out fires. Some are real problems, most are noise. If you are pulled in every hour, you are not steering the business. Block time where no one can reach you, even if just for one hour a day. Use it to think, not to chase mail. 

Which parts of the business slow you down the most, and why do they keep slipping into the ‘fix later’ pile?

Cash gaps, weak handovers, slow sales cycles, poor links between teams. These grind people down yet stay in the ‘sort later’ stack. Pick one to fix and give it a deadline. The lift in pace will give you space to sort the next.

Who on your team is stretched too thin and what would give them space to think and lead?

There is always one person who holds far too much. You know who it  is. When someone carries that load they stop thinking straight and start to burn out. Strip one task from them and pass it to someone who wants more room to grow.

What would starting January with clarity look like in real terms?

It is simple. A short list of aims, a team that knows what matters, clean roles and a few non-negotiables for pace. I worked with a firm that wrote theirs on one sheet and stuck it to the wall. It worked because it was clear and no one could hide from it.

As we reach the Christmas break I hope you get some calm with the people you care about. If this year has felt tricky and you want a cleaner start to January, feel free to contact me on david.turner@tinderboxbd.com for a chat about where your business goes next.

David Turner
MD Tinderbox and Director of The Growth Experts