We're at the start of a new year, a time we traditionally use to set goals and establish objectives that will guide the company's path throughout the year. However, those who think that simply putting the first "great idea" that comes to mind will suffice are mistaken. On the contrary, to do this correctly, it's necessary to evaluate the company's history, starting with the 2024 balance sheet.
I know saying this may seem a little obvious, but many companies still don't do this process. Some managers believe they should erase the previous year as soon as the break ends and the real work begins. And well, in my experience, unless it's a new organization in the market, it makes no sense to pretend nothing happened before.
You might be wondering: why? The answer is simple: starting everything "from scratch," ignoring the existence of previous work, destroys all chances of your business prospering. Ultimately, even if you give up on it and start another company, change fields, or want to do the same work in a different way, you need to understand the past to succeed in the present and ensure a better future.
In this sense, it's recommended to have a document containing data on the previous year's balance to understand your company's current situation, identifying successes and failures, and knowing where you're doing well and where you need to improve. Without this, it's difficult to know where to go. And as the Cheshire Cat from the classic story Alice in Wonderland , if you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there.
However, be aware that 'any road' is not a good option when you have a business you want to grow, especially with employees who depend on you and their jobs. Therefore, using OKRs – Objectives and Key Results – can be a great solution to define the best path at the moment, both for the year and, especially, for the next three months.
Yes, three months is an ideal timeframe; after all, a year these days feels like a decade, and OKRs greatly help us work better with shorter cycles. This way, it will be possible to adjust what went wrong, if necessary, starting to work towards results. And once you outline the goals and establish the objectives – short, medium, and long term – to achieve those expected results, it will be easier to figure out which path you should follow.
And remember: it's okay to admit that the chosen path wasn't the best or that it wasn't what you expected; these things can happen and are more normal than you might think. It's always possible to recalculate the route and go in a new direction. We can make mistakes, but only if they are new mistakes.
It's okay to make mistakes along the way.
