If we want 2014 to be better than 2013, we have to Plan performance and results and sometimes a management 
incentive program maybe the tool to help.
1. Do set Ground rules:
- Program must be simple and easily understood by participants
- There must be a mutually agreed-upon and achievable goals
- Tie incentives to sales building, customer retention as well as cost control
- Results should be reported and rewards distributed on a timely basis.
2. Schedule weekly meetings which help managers stay focused. These meetings should be short, positive, problem solving and results oriented.
3. Put systems in place and here are some that you may want to consider:
- Leadership systems – identification of leaders and grooming more than one.
- Recruiting systems – we will always need new blood, always looking leads to great decisions.
- Interviewing systems – phone, skype and email chat have become more common. They help you identify potential outside your area when you have a limited travel budget.
- Orientation systems – two days spent getting a new employee understanding your business will save in the long term.
- Training systems – take time to train new employees and test them well. Be firm on a training time period so that the new employee is paid for training but knows the level to achieve to stay with the company.
- Coaching systems – finding a mentor for new employees is a great way to keep employees engaged. Also helps keep employees from being sidetracked by a disgruntled employee.
- Termination systems – have a specific process to move the disgruntled employee or just an employee that doesn’t fit on to their next adventure.
This is a process, so don’t worry if you only have one system ready by January – part of your 2014 plan could be to getting this together before the Summer Solstice.
