Step back for a brighter future

Business coach Gaylene Hughes is a strong advocate of having a plan and sticking to it.

BUSINESSES often fall down simply because of a lack of planning, says business coach Gaylene Hughes. ‘‘Business owners and managers get caught up in ‘‘busy-ness’’ and they just can’t see the wood for the trees. Sometimes, it’s just about taking a break away,’’ she says.

Mrs Hughes coaches many organisations in the Wellington region via her Lower Huttbased business, JDI Business Coaching, a franchise under the international ActionCOACH model.

And the one thing she always encourages her clients to do is to take a step back from the business to plan ahead.

While many are put off by planning, because they think it is a longwinded and complicated process, Mrs Hughes says her way is quite the opposite.

‘‘We’re talking about a one-page action plan. It’s so simple they can do it themselves and it will get real results.’’

The biggest mistake businesses make, Mrs Hughes says, is that they draw up a plan but never revisit it.

‘‘I come across people all the time who aren’t meeting with their teams – they don’t need to meet for the sake of it. But they need to meet on a weekly basis at least, to talk about what they have or haven’t achieved and analyse the cause of why things haven’t happened.

‘‘More often than not it’s because there is no accountability and sometimes results aren’t measured. Those are the two main reasons why business plans fall down.’’

But the one-page action plan offers a simple solution.

‘‘As long as they’ve got someone to hold them accountable they can use that as a tool going forward.’’

The process begins by taking a rear-view look at the business, in other words thinking about what is working, what is not and putting those thoughts on paper.

‘‘It’s about getting clarity, working out what decisions they aren’t making, what they are procrastinating on, what they need to act on and then acting on it,’’ says Mrs Hughes.

‘‘It is basically a download of what is going on in their head and that leads them through a process that helps them get that clarity on what decisions or choices they need to make. Whether they need to take action now or wait a little longer.’’

All those actions are then included on a one-page action plan and the focus is first and foremost on the one action that will have the biggest impact on the business.

From there, they work down the list until all the actions are eventually undertaken, alongside an explanation on how those tasks will be measured, which is where they, or their team members, are held accountable, Mrs Hughes says.

‘‘It’s a very, very simple plan. It’s basically undertaking one action a week, achieving that, then moving on to the next one.

‘‘But if the business owner can’t understand the action and plan, or explain it to others, then it’s far too complicated and they need to go back to the drawing board.’’

Those on Mrs Hughes’ books who attend her 90-day workshops complete a one-page action plan while they’re there.

She speaks of one client, a general manager of a larger company who has been participating in the workshops for three years now.

‘‘He just loves the workshops, he sees them as a chance to get away from his branch, to come and sit quietly and work through his plan, he’s a real advocate.

‘‘One of his original goals was to go back and do this [planning] process with his management team, which they now do on a

‘Some people think low and that’s what they’ll get, but if you think big and you have a plan to achieve that, as well as the resources and that drive, then the world’s your oyster.’ GAYLENE HUGHES, BUSINESS COACH

you have the right planning processes in place and you are held accountable, then you’ll get real results.

‘‘That also depends on your mindset. Some people think low and that’s what they’ll get, but if you think big and you have a plan to achieve that, as well as the resources and that drive, then the world’s your oyster.’’