An Ounce of Planning Equals a Ton of Success

It’s August, and we are on the cusp of the most active recognition period of the year — Thanksgiving through New Year – when we recognize and spend time with those who matter most to us. If you are not in recognition planning mode now, you are on the late side, and according to Ben Franklin, “If You Fail to Plan, You Are Planning to Fail.”

Thinking about your annual holiday recognition initiatives can cause tremendous angst and stress for some. We often hear: “We knew we were going to do this; we just did not have the time to think about it,” or “Choosing how to express appreciation is not my strength, so I’ve been procrastinating,” or “Every other priority was more of a priority than figuring out how we were going to say thank you.”

There’s one sure way to replace angst with assurance–a plan that makes the process easier, more enjoyable, and a successful recipient experience.

As you make your plans, consider the planning timeline and tips below to reduce headaches and amplify a positive outcome. Getting started now expands your choices and means the difference between “vanilla” fallback ideas and a genuinely authentic recipient experience that wins hearts and minds.

 

 

Planning Benefits

Direction. Start planning with the end in mind. Know your objectives and plan to them. This will provide the best way to retain control of the process.

Decreased risk. Planning helps the people managing the initiative see potential gaps in the plan and create additional details and cross-checks that further ensure accuracy. Minimizing risk and unnecessary uncertainty helps everyone sleep at night.

Decreased overlap and waste. Planning will help you create a foundation for organizing your actions. This will help you avoid aimless activities and duplicated effort and limit confusion. Available resources (people, time, money) will be used most efficiently and effectively.

Increased opportunity for distinctive ideas. When you are short on time, it’s easy to end up with a “vanilla” solution. Using a thoughtful plan and ample timeline allows for creative, collaborative ideating and avoiding shortcuts that derail intended results.

Sound decision making. Using a planning process will provide the time you need to gather alternatives, evaluate them, review budgets, strategize recipient lists and create recipient tiers as appropriate, and ensure your data is correct. Informed decision-making offers the best outcomes.

Creates camaraderie and professional growth. Often initiatives that require planning are handled by a small team. Working together can create new and closer work friendships, camaraderie, and growth for all.

Planning is always essential. Current market conditions, inconsistencies in the supply chain, and persisting labor shortages, require sharper planning than ever. Timely decisions eliminate the disappointment of out-of-stock products, pricing increases, or delayed delivery due to slower production processing or shipping delays.

Planning a timeline and tips make sense, but if you’re short on resources, let’s start a conversation. Call 952-933-8365 or email (link to: hillary@askhillarys.com) today.