Paul Raggio: A Time to Reflect

DECEMBER 2022

SANTA CLARITA VALLEY BUSINESS JOURNAL · 19

December is a Good Time to Reflect

BY PAUL RAGGIO

SCVBJ Contributing Writer

The operations tempo in most businesses subsides during December. Holiday parties dominate the month, and work hours shrink. Leaders display generosity through bonuses, gift baskets, turkeys, and many thank-you gestures. As far as I can remember, this was the case, even when I was spending December in war zones.

Christians celebrate the four weeks of Advent leading to Christmas day, and Jews celebrate Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, over eight days. Both these religions teach this time of year is when we should reflect and atone as part of our faith following.

Circumspection is the discipline we use to connect reflection with atonement. Reflection means thinking about all that has passed in the year, especially your behaviors and actions and the outcomes they created, intended and unintended. Circumspection, considering all circumstances and possible consequences, causes you to categorize those behaviors and actions into good or bad, right or wrong. Atonement is your commitment to be accountable for the bad and seek to do good going forward.

December is a good time for companies to reflect, too. Your answers to prominent, probative questions did we meet our purpose, remain vigilant to our vision, adhere to our core values, and achieve our mission are topics to reflect on.

Leader discussions should methodically evaluate the company’s purpose, vision and mission against products and services delivered to the marketplace. Circumspectly and with openness and transparency, the leadership team should determine what went good and bad, right and wrong, then atone by creating strategies to insulate and overcome the bad.

This process must not be limited to evaluating the company’s purpose, vision, and mission but expanded to include strategy, business development, human capital, and execution.

For strategy, contemplate these questions. • Do you have a process to create, seek, evaluate, and capture opportunities that benefit the company? • Is your company leveraging its leaders, managers, human capital, facility, and capacity to the fullest extent? • Are the products and services relevant and positioned to attract those with the highest demand? • Can your company effectively scale when requests for its products or services increase? • Thinking about business development, does your company prudently invest in marketing strategies that target your ideal buyer? • Are you measuring your return on ad sales and other marketing activities? • Are your sales personnel trained and converting prospective customers at a rate that sustains and grows your top line? • Is your customer service responsive and attentive to

issues raised by your customers, and are they striving to create raving fans? • How are you investing in human capital? • Are you developing leaders and incorporating leader and management training into your performance management system? • Do you have a talent development program that goes beyond the mandatory training required by local, state, and federal government mandates? • Does your company have an inspiring, exciting, and purposeful recruitment, onboarding, and indoctrination program for ambitious and talented new hires? • How well does your company execute its mission? • Is financial performance routinely assessed, and is your team operating off a budget and multiyear forecast? • Are you watchful of key performance indicators and their impact on performance and output? • Are financial controls in place to help decisionmakers determine daily and future investments? • Are the transactional and

repeatable activities in the business systematized, and are processes and procedures documented, understood, and adhered to by the workforce? • Do managers measure productivity and seek to improve operations through technology, clarity, accountability, and process enhancements?

December is an excellent month to pause and reflect on your personal and professional lives. In addition to expressing gratitude, contemplating the questions I posed, then resolving to shed the bad and seek the good is an exciting way to start the new year. Seek and adopt best business practices. These continual actions catalyze growth, a healthy organizational climate, and a loyal customer base. This is how you lead, think, plan, and act. I wish you a wonderful holiday and the happiest new year! Col. Paul A. Raggio (Ret) is a fractional CEO who develops C-Suite executives, business owners, and employees on leadership, management principles, and best business practices. His email address is praggio64@gmail.com, and his phone number is (252) 5717368. 