Tackling Goals for 2025? Here's How We Do It...

‘Tis the season for developing big goals for the year. In the spirit of getting ourselves ready to tackle 2025, I wanted to share a bit about our process at Irvin PR. Before we check out mentally and physically for the holiday season, we’ve made time to hold an annual ‘check in’ and do the important planning now so we can hit the ground running in January.

We hosted a two-day planning session for Irvin PR with Jeff Tritt of Onward Growth Partners. The other three quarters we hold one-day planning sessions with our entire team – and it has been a game-changer for us. Here are some takeaways that, as a business owner and leader, are invaluable to me:

• Our team cares deeply about Irvin PR and each other, and it is something I do not take for granted. I firmly believe that taking time away from our desks to dream, recharge, and invest in ourselves with these sessions’ fuels that care.
• We are growing our “hard conversation” muscle. Jeff encouraged us to do an exercise where we told each team member what we loved about them and what they needed to start or stop doing to be more effective. Ouch. While that was hard, I know we will be stronger for it.
• I sweat a LOT during these sessions. I’ve got to come in with thick skin knowing I might hear some (or many!) critiques, be charged with an insane revenue goal that makes me want to break out in hives and be exceedingly vulnerable with the team. But because of the care we show each other, and our genuine desire to get better in all facets of our lives, I embrace it all knowing it is so important to our growth.
• We hit 100% of our company Rocks (goals) for 2024 – everything from our revenue and profitability goals to celebrating our 20^th anniversary well. This was and is cause for celebration, because we know this won’t always be the case.
• Dan Farkas is unparalleled in his trivia expertise (we do a couple rounds of trivia to lighten the mood during breaks and Dan wins every. single. Time! Lydia did win a couple of times… when Dan wasn’t there).
• We are completely aligned and in lockstep with our goals for 2025, our 3-year goals and our Rocks for Q1 of 2025. That alignment brings focus and implementation that ultimately is felt by every client we have the privilege of serving.

I am so thankful for this quarterly check-in process and for Jeff’s keen ability to push us, keep us engaged and drill down on what will make us even better. He’s also so aligned with our “Why” of amplifying the good in our community, and he filters everything we do during these planning sessions through that lens, which gives us increased clarity. Helping more clients do good in our community feels much better than gunning for some random revenue goal. 

If any of my fellow agency/business owners are interested in how we’ve learned to make the most of year-end reflection while also charting the course for the year ahead, reach out to me. I’m happy to share what has become an invaluable – and dare I say enjoyable – process for our team.