The old saying of ‘time flies’ has taken effect again as we have reached the halfway mark for the 2016 year. To managers, business owners, entrepreneurs, and other professionals it is time to pause and look at a mid-year review. In order to be more successful as you grow your business, you need to see where you started, what you overcame and where you stumbled.
A mid-year review is a great tool to use for your company and your employees. It allows you to adjust staffing and responsibilities as you reflect on past performance and future goals. As you begin this process, it’s easy to focus on failures. But it is just as important to identify the things that you did well. It is easy to see where you struggled but remember that the review is not only to emphasize those areas, but moreover to see where you have done well and aim to move in that direction as your business moves into the second half of 2016.
When you begin your mid-year review, it’s time to pull out your business plan and growth projections for 2016. Look back at your plan, where you hoped to be and where you are. If you came up short on your expectations, there is time to adjust for the second half of the year. Take the time to reflect on positive growth before you begin to figure out where you fell short. Those positive moments are after all what got you to where you are, and have helped you to move forward.
Once you have identified your strengths, it is time to move onto your weaknesses. The goal of identifying weakness within your employees, your company, or yourself is to be able to help to improve these shortcomings. Identify what you can do to improve in these areas, through additional training and/or resources. Over the course of the second half of the year, measure improvement.
As vacations come and go and the summer months fly past, be sure to take the time to look back at the 2016 year. In order to help be the best that you can be, whether it’s your employees, company, or manager, you need to appreciate growth. Identify the areas of success and weakness, make adjustments and come up with a plan moving forward and measure your results. It’s not too late to make the most out of 2016!
About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business growth.