It’s hard to believe that April is already half over, which means that the first third of the year has already passed. If you’re a small business owner or company manager, this is a good time to check in on the progress of your 90-day or annual goals. If you don’t revisit those now, it’ll be August before you know it!

Before we launch into our tips for checking in on those goals, we want to take a minute to talk about why we recommend 90-day goals. Setting quarterly goals provides a way to break down larger, long-term objectives into smaller, more manageable tasks. 90-day goals are especially useful because they allow businesses to adjust their strategies and plans more frequently in response to changes in the market or other external factors. When we’re helping clients build strategies and goals, we always focus on 90 days.4

So assuming you set goals for 2023 – 90 day or otherwise – here’s what we recommend doing this month:

Review your goals: Start by going back to your original list of goals and assessing which ones you’ve achieved, which ones you’re still working on and which ones you may need to revise or remove altogether. It’s important to be honest with yourself about your progress so far. Accountability for your goals is just as important as actually setting goals – if you aren’t honest with yourself and your leadership team, what’s the value of reviewing those goals at all?

Assess your performance: Next, take a look at your performance metrics and determine whether you’re on track to meet your goals. If you’re falling behind, try to identify the root causes of the problem and come up with a plan to get back on track. If you’re doing well, celebrate your progress and look for ways to build on your success. We know the early part of the year is slow for many companies, but comparing 2023 to 2022 or 2021 can help you see where you are for the year. Be careful to avoid making excuses like, “January is just slow” or “we’ll pick up in the summer” unless that’s on track for your business.

Re-evaluate your strategy: Based on your review and assessment, it may be necessary to adjust your strategy for achieving your goals. This could involve revising your timeline, reallocating resources or changing your approach altogether. Remember, the point of checking in on your 90-day goals is to ensure that you’re staying agile and responsive to changes in the market and other external factors. It’s OK to pivot goals – don’t feel like you’re stuck with what you set back in December if something isn’t working.

Communicate with your team: Finally, it’s important to communicate with your team about your progress and any changes to your goals or strategy. This will help keep everyone on the same page and ensure that everyone is working towards the same objectives. If you have an engaged staff and leadership team, they’ll want to help you succeed. But you need to check in with them.

Evaluating your 90-day and annual goals is an important part of staying on track and achieving success as a small business. By taking the time to review your progress, assess your performance, re-evaluate your strategy and communicate with your team, you’ll be well-positioned to make the most of the remaining eight months of the year. If you find that you need help setting or evaluating those goals – or could use coaching for you or your business – we’re here to help. You can find your local coach at https://www.thegrowthcoach.com/find-a-coach.