As consultants, when we first start talking with clients at least 80% lack crisp clarity.  Often, this alone is a large cause of their under-performance or limitation vs. full potential.  Thus, why not take quick stock of your clarity of direction for 2018 as we head into working day #1?

It can be quite simple.  Forget about all the buzz words such as lean manufacturing, predictive analytics, SIOP (sales, inventory & operations planning), artificial intelligence and the like.  Although you know we talk about some of these as powerful concepts, they are JUST tools. Instead, think about where you are going and what you need to accomplish in 2018.

Start with what should be relatively simple – where are you going?  Hopefully you’ve thought about strategy. Remember, strategy is no longer a topic to address every 2-5 years.  Successful leaders think of it as a strategic sprint that has to be re-evaluated (rapidly yet effectively) at least once a year.  Of course, this leads to topics such as understanding your market, customers, and business differentiators, and so start with these topics at a minimum.

Once you have clarity of where you are going, the hard part starts – turning your strategy into reality.  You cannot be the only person with clarity for the New Year if you want to be successful. Is your executive team on board?  Are they communicating in alignment as of the first day of the New Year? In today’s Amazon-impacted environment, unless your leadership team is in lock step with clarity of direction early on, you’ll be left in the dust.  After all, if customers expect delivery same-day and powerful customer experiences, they aren’t expecting to wait for you to get your act together after returning from vacation.

Take a quick audit of your strategic clarity, fill any gaps and look for opportunities to fast-track progress.  Let me know how it goes.