Every January, many leadership teams step away from the operation to talk about their goals for the new year. They identify priorities, discuss what needs to change, and leave with renewed energy about what they hope to accomplish.
There is only one problem: they are already late.
By January, the budget has likely been approved. Resources have been allocated. Financial expectations have been established. If the planning session identifies a need for another employee, new technology, leadership development, additional safety resources, or new equipment, the organization begins the year trying to fund a priority that should have helped shape the budget in the first place.
Strategic planning should not follow the budget. It should help create it.
Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, but it should also remind us how little time remains in the year. The next few months will move quickly. Soon, operators will be finalizing revenue projections, labor assumptions, capital plans, and oper…
