How to make a good annual plan? Think about these 3 points

In the new year, it is important to make appropriate annual plans. So what kind of annual plan is feasible? The author discusses the problems encountered in annual planning, the principles to follow, and how to think about it. I hope it will be helpful to you.

It is necessary to write an annual plan for yourself in the new year. But it is meaningless to simply write down reading 20 books or losing 10 pounds. This is making a wish, not making a plan.

I have the habit of making plans, and I would like to share some experience with you.

This article is suitable for friends who want to make work or personal plans . It is written for yourself, not for your boss. It does not talk about the planning template, but mainly talks about the thinking method.

The full text is divided into three parts: what problems to encounter, what principles to follow, and how to think.

1. When making annual plans, you will encounter these 4 problems

1. I can’t think that far

Logically, we should plan for the next 12 months, but we don’t even know what will happen in 2 months, especially in such a complex current situation.

If you have to do it, you can only force it in. The plan is completed, but it has no practical effect and it is easy to give up.

2. Can’t stick with it

If you only plan but don’t execute, it’s better not to do it. You won’t even last until the end of the month, let alone the whole year.

If we focus on "persistent execution", it doesn't seem right. Planning is forward-looking and must be adjusted as changes occur. We should look forward, not look down.

3. You don’t have the final say

Family, boss, objective environment, may affect our execution of the plan. Given the power of variables, is it still necessary to make a plan? Is there any meaning in it?

The overwhelming feeling of powerlessness will make you lose confidence in the plan, and you will no longer pay attention to or execute it.

4. There’s no way to be too specific

Without a specific goal, there is no direction or anchor point for efforts, so indicators and numbers should be selected. However, estimating numbers is too difficult, and making random guesses will make the plan lose its authority.

Without concrete planning, there is no sense of mission, but who knows what will happen 12 months later?

2. To solve these problems, three principles can be followed

1. Focus on direction and emphasis, and accept ambiguity

When making an annual plan, you need to think about which things to focus on this year and what results you want to achieve. The value here lies in having a general direction and clarifying priorities.

If you can think clearly, try to describe it as clearly as possible. If you really can't, don't force it. It's normal and acceptable to be vague.

2. Expect to keep adjusting your plans

If you want this annual plan to accompany you all the way and not give up halfway, you must continue to optimize and adjust it, because the situation is too complicated and unpredictable.

Therefore, when making plans, we must have this psychological expectation and leave room for adjustment.

3. The value of planning is to lead, not to achieve

Think clearly about why you want to make a plan. It is not to achieve it, but to use it to help you sort out your thoughts and lead yourself in the right direction.

What is traction? Some friends’ goal this year is to get financing, some to change jobs, and some to hold a wedding. Planning is to guide you to think about what preparations you need, what the rhythm is, and what the key elements are. It allows you to move in the right direction and not get lost.

3. Make a good annual plan and think about these 3 points

1. In your mind, what will this look like in a year?

Unlike directions, goals, and milestones, this is a more abstract description, just like if you want to build a house, you can sketch out a satisfactory shape before doing the architectural design. Avoid starting right away without even a vague idea.

Although there is a lot of uncertainty at the moment, we also need to have expectations as a guide and make adjustments at a high frequency. Otherwise, how can we decide what to do next week?

What is the "appearance" mentioned here?

It can be simply understood as a certain state or stage. For example, if you are working on an innovative project in a large company, you hope that the new project will not be cut by the company after one year, a business model will be found, and the team will be built, so you can start a big project next year.

For example, entrepreneurs like me hope to be alive in a year.

Or, friends who want to work in a big company can spend this year safely and without much discomfort.

In short, this is a relatively idealistic but achievable situation, and it must be described. You will find that in the process of description, this matter becomes clearer in your mind, and you can sort out your thoughts while making plans.

What you described is the annual goal, but you didn't try to describe it with indicators, which would be more vivid and flexible.

2. What is your situation and what role do you play?

When planning for the future, we must also focus on the current situation, know our position and situation, and what role we play.

If you are an entrepreneur or a boss, you need to know what level your company is at in the industry, whether you need to survive or transform this year, or whether you need to make some breakthroughs. As long as you can answer this question, half of your plan is ready.

If you are a working person in the workplace, you should at least know whether the matter you are responsible for is important in the eyes of the company; whether the boss supports you; how many resources (people, money, traffic) you can get; and which important information of the company will be approved by you and which will not.

It reflects what role people play in an organization or competitive environment.

This is also a match between stages, expectations, and capabilities.

I have found this phenomenon in the workplace: the company hopes to maintain this business and get the money it can earn, but will not make more investment because it is not a strategic focus in the long run. However, the person in charge of this business always wants to make a big move.

They apply for more resources and manpower, trying to do something groundbreaking. This is because they fail to see their own situation clearly, causing the individual to conflict with the whole, and the result is bound to be frustration for the individual.

Understand your role and follow the situation.

If you refuse to accept your fate and refuse to accept defeat, that's fine, but you also have to find a place where you can perform well.

3. How do you plan to solve it?

Don’t think about what to do right away, and don’t jump right into the execution phase. Only when the strategy is reasonable can the execution be valuable. Otherwise, the better you do, the greater the harm.

Therefore, you must first think about the strategy to ensure the correct direction.

Strategy is the next level of thinking, which belongs to the guiding principle and is relatively abstract. For example, when two countries fight, should they use an arms race or send troops directly? If they send troops, should they use the air force or go for a naval battle?

For example, when two teams meet in a World Cup match, what tactics will they adopt? Will they penetrate through the middle or fly from both wings? Will they make more direct passes to the penalty area or short passes on the ground?

For example, when operating a product, should we focus on retaining top users or adopting an overall stratified model? Should we focus on improving shortcomings and expanding product categories or should we become the TOP1 in our areas of strength?

These are the strategies.

Let’s not discuss what activities to do, what planning to do, and what functions to design, these are all details. There is a set of methods to execute the details well, but in fact, doing it well or poorly will not have a decisive impact on the results. It is often the wrong strategy that makes the execution take the blame.

When making annual plans, you don’t need to go into the execution details. It’s more important to think about what strategies to use to get the job done.

The above is my experience with “Annual Planning”.

Author: Han Xu

Source: WeChat public account "Operation Dog Work Diary (ID: yunyingriji)"