Half time: time to gear up for the rest of the game

From Coach Kristen:

July brings picnics, trips to the beach, and family vacations where siblings are stuffed in the backseat like sardines. For most people, summer is simply a time to coast into fall. This is a poor choice.

We're more than half way through 2009. In sports, half time is a break in the action where the team huddles together to reflect on the first half of the game. Mistakes are analyzed, great plays are revisited, words of encouragement are exchanged. Most importantly, the coach reviews the goals set for the team and readjusts strategy to ensure these goals are met. Then, he rallies the team around this new strategy and cheers them onto victory.

In your "game" with your team, this half-way point should also be a time to reflect on the first half of the year. Set aside your half time and plan to discuss the following:

• What were the original goals for 2009?
• What goals (if any) have we completed thus far?
• How have our goals changed?
• What steps are outstanding to meet these goals?
• Do we need to readjust our priorities?
• Do we need to readjust our timeline?
• What new goals do we need to craft?
• Who else do we need to involve (draft) on our team to ensure our goals are met?
• Are there any goals we need to delete that are no longer relevant to our overall mission?
• What other resources are we lacking?

When you've had the chance to huddle up, take more time to re-set goals for the remainder of the year. This is also a great time to set one-on-one mid-year performance appraisals. As you are discussing the overall big team goals, you must also spend time with each individual team member to discuss their goals as they fit in the overall big picture. If you find you don't have the resources to do all this on your own, consider hiring a business coach to help you. Be sure to find someone with experience and credentials-don't simply hire a "consultant".

When the process is complete, your team will be refocused and recommitted to the game. When the whistle blows, everyone will be working from the same playbook; focused to win.