Importance of Objectives

Objective - A military objective is a clearly defined desired result in a given campaign, major operation, battle, or engagement set by the senior command for their formations and units to achieve. Military objectives can be set within a three-tier scale of combat structure of tactical, operational and strategic management of the conflict, and the conduct of its combat operations process. The objective is usually defined in the orders within the an operational plan's written specification.

There is a saying, if you are not willing to quantify or place a time sensitive stamp on something you are not serious about achieving your objective. If this is true how much of what you do as a business owner are you serious about? 

• Have you quantified your personal characteristics as the business owner or leader?
  
• Have you quantified your reserved earnings (in months of operating income)?
  
• Have you quantified your strategic position (imagined footprint)?
  
• Have you quantified your revenue (how much you want by what date)?
  
• Have you quantified your staff?
  
• Have you quantified your social outreach and marketing?
  
• Have you quantified the characteristics of your business?
  
• Have you quantified the characteristics of your employees?
  
• Have you quantified the price you will have to pay to achieve your goals?
  
• Have you established business milestones?
  
• Have you determined the minimum acceptable standards of behavior?
  
• Have you written a policy and procedure manual? 

If you answered no can you really say you are serious about being in business?

If you answered no how can you plan to grow your business past a one person shop? 

• Can you tell me why you are in business?
  
• Can you tell me what you hope to accomplish?
  
• Are you achieving your dream or are you buying into someone else’s dream for you regarding how they can use or possibly exploit you? 
  

Let me use my personal life as an example – so many times I have been accused of infidelity. One of the reasons is when I am frustrated my outlet is to go to the 24 hour gym and take my frustrations out on the equipment instead of the person  Times when I traveling or working at a client site I was accused of infidelity even when I offered to bring them along. The reasons the accusations never bothered me is because the core traits I worked to internalize are fidelity, loyalty, and integrity. That said if you have not determined what the core traits or characteristics of importance to your company then which ones will take root? 

What do you think?