Congratulations! You made it to the year end. But before we go headfirst into 2025, let’s
take a pause and evaluate where we’ve been so we can plan for where we’re going.
Grab a journal and let’s get started.
Compare the 2024 Budget versus the Actual through November 30
☐What worked and what didn’t? On what didn’t work, why did it not go as
planned? Was it a priority or perceived priority? Is it still a priority today? If so,
how must this be simplified to work as intended?
☐Cut out any activity that isn’t a priority. (Doesn’t that feel good?)
☐What are the top 3 to 5 things that will be a concentrated activity in 2025?
☐What resources are needed to accomplish these 3 to 5 things? Do I already
have those resources? If not, what needs to happen to have these resources?
Communicate the top 3 to 5 outcomes to your team leaders and empower them to
develop a tactical plan to achieve these activities. Encourage your team leaders to
empower their team to help them with their portion of the tactical plan. Teamwork really
does make the dream work.
Set measurable quarterly benchmarks and meetings to review the outcomes achieved
or the lack thereof. If you don’t track it, you can’t measure it so put those systems in
place if you haven’t.
After completing the tactical plans of the top 3 to 5 prioritized outcomes, have your team
leaders communicate these plans to their team and empower them to achieve them.
Schedule quarterly outcome-based meetings with team leaders at the end of each
quarter, with an agenda to cover the hits and misses of the current quarter and what
needs to change in the forward quarter to stay on task. Leave two days at the end of
each quarter to review and evaluate what needs to change in the next 12 weeks or
quarter.
☐Schedule all re-occurring audits.
☐Establish 15-25 benchmarks and ratio trends that define a successful year. I highly
recommend using comparative ratios and not dollars in the trends.
☐Document plan(s) to be used as the GPS for the fiscal year 2025
Now you’re ready to create a 2025 Budget that reflects the perceived outcomes of the
tactical plans for the top 3 to 5 priorities and 15-25 ratio trends.
I hope this helps. If you have questions, reach out and if you’re not yet following my blog
and my pages, I invite you to. Learn more about my products and services and past
blogs at http://mcswainconsulting.net.