Husam Jandal, internationally acclaimed business and marketing consultant, has a word of advice for owners of small and midsize companies: “Move beyond acronyms like SWOT and SMART to generate meaningful results.” His article, “5 Goal-Setting Strategies That Will Set Your Business Up for Success,” which outlines simple and actionable steps business leaders can make to improve their outcomes, is live on HusamJandal.com now.
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“We’ve been taught frameworks like SWOT and SMART and led to believe they’ll assure success,” Jandal laments. “They’re good places to start, but business owners who develop their plans further have much higher rates of success.”
Jandal says that, on average, only 5% of businesses reach their annual goals. He believes that the problem isn’t usually with the company, its products, or its leadership, but the manner in which its goals are set. Moreover, he believes the issues start the second goals are formulated.
“Many business leaders have a goal in mind, such as increasing revenue,” Jandal explains. “Then, they start strategizing how their sales and marketing teams can meet those goals using the SMART method. However, this approach overlooks SWOT—the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. By starting with SWOT, businesses make the most of their existing resources, so they go farther than they would on SMART alone.”
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After working with hundreds of companies and helping Fortune 100 companies level up, the consultant says SMART goals shouldn’t come in until much later and should be crafted in a way that resonates with the teams carrying out tasks and stays true to the company’s values.
Many businesses also overlook critical areas when setting goals, such as time management, tracking, accountability, and support, Jandal notes. He says that, particularly with smaller companies, owners find themselves handling a multitude of jobs. As a result, simple things like performing regular progress evaluations fall by the wayside until they’re eventually forgotten or the sight of the goal is lost entirely.
“It doesn’t take much to stay on the right track. Simply scheduling regular check-ins with a mentor, coach, consultant, or trusted confidant increases the odds of success dramatically,” says Jandal.
Business leaders interested in learning how to improve their goal-setting strategies and those who wish to tap into Mr. Jandal’s expertise are encouraged to visit HusamJandal.com.
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