Going through the exercise of setting goals may seem like a task or even at its worst dudgery. The problem in the past has been that most organizations set goals based on sales for each quarter of the year. This means goals are usually set for financial reasons and the goals are generally for one year at a time. The goals also tend to tied into budgets and quotas. But what happened to setting goals that incorporate the entire business and the direction it is taking?

Goals need to thread through every fiber of the business. The starting point is to do a 26 point gap analysis of the organization. This means taking a look at every department and analyzing how they are conducting business, what processes are in place, and looking to the future at how that department would be perfectly run. Does this sound like a lot of work? Yes, and it is after the initial analysis.

Let's examine what is involved in doing the 26 point GAP analysis and how you can get started for your own business. If you do not want to do this analysis on your own, call or email Dr. Daoust for assistance.

HR - there are at least three areas that need to be examined - hiring policies, advancement policies, and benefits. You need to take a look at the systems used for each of these areas including an analysis of the time it takes to perform each task. Getting down to the details becomes increasingly important if goals are to be set for improvement.

MANAGEMENT - take a look at the vision, mission, and objectives that have been set for the organization. Do these reflect what the customers thinks about your organization? Do they also reflect the direction the company is taking at the present moment or are the statements where the company would like to go?

DECISION MAKING - examine all the places your organization makes decisions. Who has the final word? Does the process impede growth? What processes are in place to make sure the decisions are not delayed so there is a loss of business?

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING - determining how people interact with each other internally and externally. Is there a sense of community? Do customers form relationships with the staff? Does the staff form relationships with prospects or clients? How does your organization provide ways to nurture positive relationships.

MARKETING - analyze what marketing tactics are currently being used and how effect they are. Take a look at the current measurement and tracking methods. Are there plans for additional tactics if the current ones are not producing results. What would be the ideal marketing campaign?

SALES - are the pipelines for each salesperson appropriately filled. What systems are in place to aid the sales team so that their time is well used. How much paperwork is required and how much time does it take to complete? What would be the ideal sales environment?

PLANNING - how much time does it take to do planning for each project the company works on? How are products planned and produced? Does your company use well-known processes such as total quality management or just-in-time manufacturing?

COMMUNICATIONS - is there an awareness of the flow of information within the organization? Is it easy to communicate across departments? Do customers get instant responses? How can you improve on internal and external communications?

Overall, a GAP analysis will give you the starting point for setting goals and action plans. If you do not know where you are right now, it is impossible to draw a map of where you would like to be.