So as I have mentioned before, I'm a registered nurse here in the USA. All through nursing school, my professors drilled into us something called the nursing process. NursingWorld.com describes the nursing process as "the essential core of practice for the registered nurse to deliver holistic, patient-focused care". This means this process enables the nurse to look at the whole patient instead of just focusing on one problem. I go to thinking, this is precisely the way a business plan and goals for your business should be made! It makes perfect sense! Let me break it down for you cool cats:
First Step: Assessment.
Nursing Logic: This is the step where you collect information about your patient. You look, listen, feel, and talk to the patient to see what needs to be addressed.
Business Logic: You take a long hard look at your business. Where is it lacking? Where are you doing too much? What could you be doing better? Look at the numbers (income, time management, expenses) and other things that factor in to your success. All you need to do is look for now.
Second Step: Diagnosis.
Nursing Logic: This is where we take all the objective data and decide what the problem is.
Business Logic: How can you better reach your business goals? Is the problem you spend too much on advertising that isn't giving you back the money that you thought it would? Is the rent on the space too much? Do you need to do more networking? After looking at the data, make some conclusions on what is really going on in your business and write down areas where you could improve.
Third Step: Planning.
Nursing Logic: By looking at the diagnosis, from here we can make long and short term goals for our patients.
Business Logic: This is when you start forming goals for your business for the next year. Maybe you need to make some changes so that you can be more efficient, or to save money. Maybe you need a better way to connect with your customers. Forming solid long term and short term goals is the best thing to help your business progress and a way to help you stay on track. Why do I say long term and short term? Because I have notices that many people have super fantastical amazing goals, which is awesome and you should, but you also need a road map to get there. That is where your short term goals come in.
Fourth Step: Implementation
Nursing Logic: This is where we put those treatment options in motion for the patient.
Business Logic: Because you are just now making these goals, you want to look at how you can implement these changes starting now or starting when your business plan is supposed to start. I'll use the example of advertising. Do you spend way too much on advertising and your not seeing a profit return? Maybe you can cancel some of those advertising subscriptions and spend more time upping your social media game! And that is something you can start doing now.
Fifth Step: Evaulation
Nursing Logic: This is where you look at everything that was done and see how effective it was. If it didn't work, time to go back to the assessment stage and start all over again.
Business Logic: Now you won't always be able to do this immediately. It takes time to see if something new you have put into place is actually taking working or not. But look ahead, this can be a valuable step when making goal. Look at your goals and think going forward: is this sustainable? Is this something that is doable? And if you realize your goals aren't working for you, guess what? You can go back to assessment and start all over again!
So this is how a bit of nursing knowledge can help us all! How is your business planning going? What are some of your goals for 2016? Let me know!
First Step: Assessment.
Nursing Logic: This is the step where you collect information about your patient. You look, listen, feel, and talk to the patient to see what needs to be addressed.
Business Logic: You take a long hard look at your business. Where is it lacking? Where are you doing too much? What could you be doing better? Look at the numbers (income, time management, expenses) and other things that factor in to your success. All you need to do is look for now.
Second Step: Diagnosis.
Nursing Logic: This is where we take all the objective data and decide what the problem is.
Business Logic: How can you better reach your business goals? Is the problem you spend too much on advertising that isn't giving you back the money that you thought it would? Is the rent on the space too much? Do you need to do more networking? After looking at the data, make some conclusions on what is really going on in your business and write down areas where you could improve.
Third Step: Planning.
Nursing Logic: By looking at the diagnosis, from here we can make long and short term goals for our patients.
Business Logic: This is when you start forming goals for your business for the next year. Maybe you need to make some changes so that you can be more efficient, or to save money. Maybe you need a better way to connect with your customers. Forming solid long term and short term goals is the best thing to help your business progress and a way to help you stay on track. Why do I say long term and short term? Because I have notices that many people have super fantastical amazing goals, which is awesome and you should, but you also need a road map to get there. That is where your short term goals come in.
Fourth Step: Implementation
Nursing Logic: This is where we put those treatment options in motion for the patient.
Business Logic: Because you are just now making these goals, you want to look at how you can implement these changes starting now or starting when your business plan is supposed to start. I'll use the example of advertising. Do you spend way too much on advertising and your not seeing a profit return? Maybe you can cancel some of those advertising subscriptions and spend more time upping your social media game! And that is something you can start doing now.
Fifth Step: Evaulation
Nursing Logic: This is where you look at everything that was done and see how effective it was. If it didn't work, time to go back to the assessment stage and start all over again.
Business Logic: Now you won't always be able to do this immediately. It takes time to see if something new you have put into place is actually taking working or not. But look ahead, this can be a valuable step when making goal. Look at your goals and think going forward: is this sustainable? Is this something that is doable? And if you realize your goals aren't working for you, guess what? You can go back to assessment and start all over again!
So this is how a bit of nursing knowledge can help us all! How is your business planning going? What are some of your goals for 2016? Let me know!