The Best Way to Avoid Burnout

I talk to a lot of business owners and one thing I know for sure; companies don’t grow when the owner is constantly putting out fires or sitting behind their desk buried in information.  And yet, it happens all the time.  Years go by and suddenly you realize – you’re stuck and burned out.

What the heck happened?  You forgot Intentional Leadership.   

The real deal. The business owners I interviewed for The Success Code found that in orderto create long-term sustainable success and protect themselves from falling into the day-to-day trap, they needed a clear vision for their company’s long term future and a purposefully driven plan of action, based around short term goals.

Intention is critical for two reasons…

1) Rome wasn’t built in a day.  Building something great starts with a vision, but then requires millions of small tasks inching you closer to the goal every day.  Without those purposeful steps and commitment to get there, you’re sure to get distracted and ultimately stop moving forward.

2) Rome wasn’t built by one person.  Can you do it all yourself?  Not likely.  But, if you’re not clear about what needs to be done this week, or month, or year, how in the heck can your team rally behind you to accomplish the bigger picture?  Your lack of intention will mirror itself in your employees over and over again, and let’s face it, why should they care about your future if you don’t.

So, where should you start?  You’ll need to determine SMART goals:

Specific. The more detailed, the better because you and your team need to know whether the goal has been met or missed. “Increasing gross revenue by 7% over the next 12 months” is specific. “Increasing sales” is not.

Measurable. When you can use numbers to track changes, do it.  It’s fairly easy when it pertains to sales, marketing, and production.  It’s a little more difficult when it comes to engagement or attitudes – so do the best you can.  Also keep in mind, how you’ll track it – is there already a report?  Can it be tracked with technology or will you do it the old fashion way with “tick marks” on paper?

Attainable. This is determined with one question, “Has someone at some time attained this goal?”  If they have, why can’t you do it too?  If it appears impossible, it doesn’t mean it is; it just means it will require a lot more passion, energy and hard work.

Realistic. This is all about your current level of skills and resources.  In other words – is it realistic for YOU and YOUR TEAM to achieve right now? Setting a goal to “add 200 new customers” may not be realistic if you’re the only salesperson in your organization.

Time bound.   Putting a timeframe on achievement creates a sense of urgency. If you’re not specific about when a goal should be reached, it’s much easier for you to lose motivation.

Once you’ve identified your goals, the next step is to put your leadership team to work to figure out how to achieve them and put a plan in writing.  Finally, you’ll want to share your plans throughout the entire organization. By creating this inclusive culture around “intention,” you ensure everyone contributes to the future of the company and holds each other accountable towards greater success. 

The Bottom Line

Most business owners that get bogged down in their day-to-day operations struggle to reach their full potential.  Unfortunately, the road to success is filled with many pitfalls and roadblocks, but with intentional thinking (clear vision, goals and inclusive plans) you can avoid many of them and build a world-class organization.

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