RETAILOBSERVER.COM JANUARY 2026
32
W
e have written about everything from the importance of
cleanliness to individual certifications – and each year new
issues seem to keep cropping up. Some are new issues, but
some are oldies that have yet to be resolved. What did your business
report card look like at the end of 2025? What goals and objectives have
you set for the coming year to make your service center perform better?
While your overall goal is no doubt to strive for continuous improvement,
it isn't always easy to do.
At the start of a new year, the first step is to revisit what has not yet
been accomplished in the previous year, and figure out what it might
take to check those off your list as soon as possible. Old goals can
easily get lost in the shuffle, because we tend to turn our attention to the
immediately pressing issues and put our previous plans on the back
burner until we can get around to them. But to clear your path forward,
consider giving these uncompleted programs some champions and
the support to make them a reality. If they were important before, why
not give them the attention they deserve this time around?
Meanwhile, be sure to take time to celebrate the goals you achieved
last year! Show your crew what they mean to your success, and give
credit to the people and programs that helped you achieve your goals.
Celebrating your successes will remind everyone that goals can be
achieved. It will energize them to work hard to achieve your goals and
objectives for this new year. Of course, it's important to keep monitoring
your past accomplishments to ensure that you're continuing to improve
in those areas year over year.
When the new year begins, you'll only have a clean slate for a brief
period, until the current year's performance data start rolling in. After
that short break, you'll be chasing fresh goals, so be sure to
communicate your plans as soon as possible. Everyone should know
your expectations and the reasoning behind the new objectives. Give
every department and team member a head start on their own planning
processes as soon as possible to prevent delays in achieving your
goals for the new year.
What's your game plan for this year? Have you implemented it
throughout your company? The fourth quarter of 2025 is done; the
question now is: "Have we completed last year's plans, and are we
communicating, monitoring, and striving for progress on our
current goals? Let everyone know what this
year's business goals are, and give them lots of
opportunities to do their part to help make them
a reality.
S E R V I C E D E P A R T M E N T
Don Pierson, C-CSC Board Member
www.certifiedservicecenter.org
NEW YEAR–
NEW PLANS
What's your game plan for this year?
RO
