As the year comes to a close, many of us take the time to reflect on the accomplishments for the past year. There would be moments of joy, great pride, and embarrassment. The exercise could be revealing. You learn what has gone well and identify the big, unexpected ‘aha’ ideas.
For my business, I prefer to take a moment to look forward on what I would do to take my business to the next level. This involves answering the following questions:
- How do I add exceptional value to my offerings?
- What needs do my customers have that I could help with?
- Are there creative approaches to better serve my customers?
- Could I anticipate needs and help my clients prepare as they progress?
- What pragmatic tools could I create to solve common business issues?
- Who else would benefit from the value I offer?
- How could I create a community where customers and liked minds could share ideas and learn from each other?
As I work through the above questions, I bring in learnings from my past experiences. Those learnings help to polish the approach I would take in moving forward. They, however, don’t limit my thinking on what’s best for the customers and how I would serve them.
There is a difference between looking forward and looking back. Looking back tends to focus on reflecting on what’s worked well and what’s not. It gears one’s mind to fix problems. On the contrary, looking forward hones in on what’s best for the future. It directs one’s attention to opportunities that would create new value. Your customers won’t want to stay stagnant at where they are today. It is more advantageous to position your business to grow with your customers and continue to provide value that help them progress. Start looking forward and plan for a prosperous 2014!
© Connie Siu 2013. All rights reserved.
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