New Year's Planning - Critical Success Factors
Critical success factors for New Year's planning
In 2016, there will be a new set of critical success factors to consider. With the end of a year that has been an uneven rollercoaster experiencing uncertain times, 2016 is expected to be a turbulent period for many. The year 2015 has ended with US dollar in decline, Japan and Europe struggling with domestic issues, China slowing down its economy and then the terrorist attack on Brussels airport. It was a year with much uncertainty but also one that had great opportunity to meet people from different cultures and trade ideas on opportunities ahead but also share life experiences. .
It is important to plan for 2016. With the general election in the US, there will be some uncertainty, as well as new political leadership in countries and regions like Arab Spring, Turkey and Philippines. The year will also be dominated by fundamental issues like terrorism and refugees. Political developments underline the need for efficient planning initiatives.
This article has been written by Marko Verhovenbroek to provide a further perspective on the importance of planning ahead with regards to the critical success factors that are needed to plan ahead with confidence.
Critical Success Factors (CSF)
Critical Success Factor (CSF) is a process used throughout every area of human endeavour: education, medicine, sports, business, family life and politics. These are all similar ways of measuring success and the ability to overcome adverse conditions (CSF).
A critical success factor is a major contributing factor, a key driver or an indispensable factor for success in a particular situation. If you have the right number of factors, all you need to do is multiply them together to arrive at a result.
As Marko Verhovenbroek points out often, there are several other factors that are even more important but have not been put forward by people as CSFs. Here is my list:
#1: Belief. It has been shown repeatedly that people with more optimism live longer and experience significantly lower levels of anxiety than those who are less optimistic. It is also true that the majority of us in life experience ups and downs, but it is the attitude and our perception of what happens to us that matters most.
Mistakes happen, failures are part of life. The important thing is how we learn from these mistakes and failures. Rising up again is critical to success in every form. Successful people see mistakes as opportunities to grow, while unsuccessful people see them as setbacks. Successful people view challenges as chances for personal growth, while those who are not successful consider them threats.
#2: Motivation. As many as 65% of people have had poor performance at work, and most of them are unwilling to change their ways to improve. They are motivated by money, power or they really believe in the organization they work for. For those who believe in what they do, the issue of motivation is different. Successful people are motivated by the desire to improve themselves and to help others reach greatness, while unsuccessful people are motivated by money or power (according to research findings).
Personal development is vital for success at work because motivation alone does not necessarily lead to high performance. It is important that you set goals and monitor your progress regularly because this helps you maintain a healthy level of motivation . . . and helps you avoid procrastination.
#3: Attitude. The ability to maintain a positive attitude is the main factor that influences most people's success. For example, in 2012 a research conducted by the American Psychological Association showed that "outlook," their outlook on things, matters more than work or money to people's success in life, while career and money were more significant factors in determining the success of men than it was for women.
Some of us tend to get into too much negativity at work and this results in poor performance. To cope with negative events, successful people adopt a moderate approach, while unsuccessful people tend to adopt an extreme approach ( negative thinking). Successful people are able to keep their cool under pressure, while unsuccessful people tend to make rash decisions at work.
Successful people are more emotionally stable than unsuccessful people. They have a sense of humor and have learned to laugh at themselves, while unsuccessful people tend to be more sensitive and take negative criticism too personally (according to research findings).
#4: Creativity. Successful business leaders always seek innovative solutions because they know that the best competitive advantage is achieved through creativity. Creativity can only be developed if you have the desire to be creative and if your environment fosters such creativity. Research shows that the most effective way to enhance creativity is through individualized learning . . . which includes personal development
#5: Communication skills. Effective communication makes the difference between success and failure. Without it, you can easily fail in life. As successful people say, "If you want to be successful in life, you need two things: To have good self-esteem and a positive attitude."
It is important to communicate well (among others) at work because while you cannot change the external conditions of your work, you must change the way that you communicate with your colleagues. For this reason, effective communication is vital for success at work.
#6: Commitment to one's Purpose in Life (PIL). There are different types for this critical success factor related to religion and spirituality. A simple one-word definition of PIL is meaning. This means that a purpose in life is something that gives you meaning and makes sense out of your life.
#7: Willpower. The best way to overcome problems, disadvantages and failures is to persevere, Persistence and commitment determine success or failure in life. The determination to do what it takes to succeed is the major driving force behind all exceptional achievements.
Research findings show that willpower is as important as intelligence in predicting successful people's achievement, self-control can help you achieve success in every area of your life (including professional) if you know how to exercise this self-control . . .
#8: Creativity and Innovation. Highly creative and innovative people have the ability to look at old things in a new way, to connect one thing with another, to notice details that other people ignore. They tend to see things differently and as a result they always come up with fresh ideas.
As stated by people who are at the top of their profession, creativity is always an essential key for success in any endeavor. In order for you to be successful in life, you must develop your creative skills and become more innovative . . . no matter what you do!
#9: Discipline. Discipline is another phrase for persisting until you reach your goal . . . no matter how long it takes or how difficult the path may be.
Conclusion:
So there you have it! In order to succeed at life, you must develop the above nine important success factors. Many successful people have done so, and for them it was not easy. Learn from their experiences and work hard to develop your own personal success formula. You can achieve great things in life if you are willing to work hard and take risks.
There are many advantages to being successful. For example, successful people tend to be more confident than the unsuccessful people, they have less stress than unsuccessful people, they feel happier at work than unsuccessful people do, they have better physical health (less depression), etc.etc.etc...