Kelford Labs Weekly: The truth about Marketing Santa

It’s that time of year again: Strategic planning season.

The time when organizations around the world compile wishlists of things they won’t do, can’t do, or shouldn’t do, and never look at them again.

That’s harsh, I know.

But many, if not most, of the organizations I’ve studied approach the end of the year like they’re making a wish list for Marketing Santa.

They compile a long list of all the things they’d like to do next year, as if what’s impossible this year suddenly becomes possible next year by way of some temporal magic.

That’s no way to plan for anything other than disappointment.

Instead, you need a strategy. The structure to work efficiently—every single day—toward your ultimate goals.

So, first, identify what you want to be true at the end of next year that isn’t true today. Make sure it’s reasonable, feasible, and based in reality.

Then, you identify your current resources, capabilities, interests, and time capacity.

Determine which actions you have the ability take that would most efficiently make progress toward that end goal. What can you do every single day—based on what’s currently true about your business—to make that end state true in the future?

And, finally, wrap a structure around your actions, in the form of daily priorities, tactical plans, and regular motivation boosts, so you keep at it for the long-term.

The New Year is no time for having one big day and hoping for the best.

But it’s the perfect time to think about what you can be doing every day—as little as possible, for as long as you can.

So, don’t make a wishlist for next year.

Don’t even make a plan.

Build the structure to work efficiently to get what you want.

If you’d like help creating a strategy to have a successful, strategic 2024, let’s chat.