The anxiety and anguish of 2020 are behind us. It was a year that left its mark on thousands of businesses around the world.

Due to the pandemic, many companies adjusted their business strategies, readjusted, and then readjusted again.

Those with strong operational bases were able to survive. They were able to adapt to the ebb and flow of the market.

Some even thrived and had significant growth in sales and revenue. Others were not so lucky and were forced to cut production and staff.

As the COVID economy continues, business owners must continue to adjust and add their strategic processes. This includes an analysis, evaluation and development of a plan that establishes the proper direction and discipline necessary to navigate through the headwinds that will surely be faced throughout 2021.

Case in point. I was a member of the 1988 Virgin Islands Olympic Sailing Team. We set sail from the US Sailing Center in Coconut Grove, Florida. When we ran, the course was made up of a triangle. That means that no matter which way the wind blows, you need to get your sailboat moving quickly and maintaining speed.

The course required that you not only fight hard to maintain momentum, but also keep an eye out for other ships. A competitor could not be allowed to literally “take the wind out of the sails.”

The race included a high level of strategy. The sails had to be precisely positioned to make the next 300-degree turn without losing speed. It was a total effort to cross the finish line before the competition.

Your business plan should do the same. That’s formulating a strategy that not only allows your company to keep up, but is actually designed to win the race in the new year.

An example of a winning plan is the popular Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS®), used by thousands of businesses across the country and worth mentioning here. Like the EOS® plan, your strategy should focus on six key areas.

These include …

A solid vision. One in which everyone in the organization is on the same page and rowing, so to speak, in the same direction. The entire team must understand the direction of the business and how it will get there. Great progress can be made when employees have a clear vision of where you are going and then spend most of their time aligned with it.

Good people. Business owners need to surround themselves with great people from top to bottom. You can’t achieve a great vision without a great team. Many business owners struggle in this area, but the best companies have a strong group behind them.

Data and metrics. Management must cut across all personalities, feelings, opinions, and egos. Instead, a plan should be boiled down to a handful of objective numbers. This gives you an absolute pulse on where things are at any given moment. These data points will help the team focus, participate, and work towards its vision.

Problem resolution. Problems can hold a company back. Most are solvable, but if left unresolved they can turn a thoroughbred into a slow-moving mule. These issues must be tackled at the root. When properly addressed, they can be eliminated and / or their impact substantially reduced.

Processes Companies have various business processes. Some are better than others and may be different for each employee. Management must document what these processes are and then simplify them to ensure that everyone in the organization follows them.

Traction. Once companies implement these processes, they reach a point in implementation where they are making great progress, never before imaginable. By identifying your top priorities, taking the time weekly to work on them, and holding each other accountable, you can grow faster and faster.

Creating the right strategic plan, with the right processes for implementation, measurement, and accountability, will allow a business owner to crush their numbers and shake up their business plan in 2021.