Achieving goals

It should be noted that a person could be successful in his career only when he achieves set goals. I quote below 12 golden rules to achieve goals easily.

a. Defining

Define your goals in advance. Success in business career, satisfactory profits, creation of goodwill, capturing a market share, creating more employment opportunities, unitizing our resources, earning foreign exchange, popularity and even political benefit. There is a distinction between ambition and goal. If an advanced level student wants to pass the examination it is his ambition but obtaining distinctions in all subjects, is a proper goal.

b. Necessity

You must analyze as to whether your goal is necessary. It may be beneficial for your present career, family employees, community and the country as well. As mentioned in the above obtaining distinction is necessary to secure university admission of your choice.

c. Resources

Money, material, manpower and machinery are important resources. You must develop them. If one of the resources is in short supply you must find out whether you could utilize another resource as substitute. Limiting factor analysis and linear program are important.

d. Consultation

This is very important. Please consult your well wishers, experienced people and experts to consider whether your goal is beneficial to you and could be achieved.

e. Risks

There several risks you have to consider local risk, foreign risk, legal risk, security risk and shortage of resources. Proper reports such as sensitivity analysis and risk factor analysis are important.

f. Alternate measure

You have to consider possible alternate measures if your goal could be achieved partially or in full. If necessary you may have to give up continuation and start a new project. You should see whether assets (fixed and current) could be sold at reasonable prices to reduce losses and commence new project. Assets of a highly technical nature may not have a market value. It is called sunk cost and it is very risky.

g. Positive thinking

Never get disheartened when faced with early losses. Several scientists who invented new methods and medicines had failed at the start and faced humiliation. Great sailors like Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama had commendable will power and positive thinking. That was their secret of success.

h. Involvement

It is very important that you get involved without transferring responsibilities to others. Direct inspection frequent report analysis and quick action are few examples.

i. Action plan

An action plan should be drafted and explained to the participants of different level. Responsibilities and duties should be properly divided without depending on one man or group. Action plan should be modified according to the changes (legal, economy and taxes)

j. Continuation

Reaching goals alone should not be your target. You have to maintain it. A famous king of England once said.

“I do not want to become a king only but wish to rule as king”. New goals should be targeted for better prospects. For example, student after university admission should plan to obtain a first class pass in his finals and could plan for higher qualifications.

k. Experience

Please revise your plan and performance according to your experience. A famous business magnate once said “I take correct decisions based on my experience which I gain on my past wrong decisions”.

l. Secrets

It may be necessary to have business secrets but a fair percentage should be made available among your partners in progress. Further important matters should be placed in writing and given to your beneficiaries to continue the business.

I am aware that a fair percentage of ayurvedic medical treatment have vanished, as they were kept as family secrets and some members did not show interest to practice them further.

S R Balachandran - Council Member -The National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka