Tammi's World

Of Numbers and Goals

Ok - I've got to work this out of my head. It's keeping me awake at night.

I am responsible for setting the forecast of my division. Now I have a pretty strong theory about forecasting/budgets. I don't sandbag. I will not lower my numbers just so that I can blow them away and look good to the company.

One reason for that is I think it makes you look like a loser. I check my forecasts account by account every quarter. If something changes in my account layout I make a revision to my numbers. Up or down. It's called honesty.

I also refuse to "shoot for the moon". I'd love to set this year's budget at 10 million dollars. LOVE to!! But, that is setting my team up for failure. It's discouraging when you've got a number that there is no way in hells kitchen you can hit.

Now - I stretch. You can bet your sweet ass I stretch. This year my teams budget is $3.5million. May not seem like much - but you should know the cost of our average product is about $3.00. You gotta sell a lotta shit at $3.00 a pop to hit $3.5 million.

But I know we can do it. Open new business, get in other sections of stores we are already in and sell in the new product. In other words - do your job. It's simple.

And that's what I've got to convince my team of next week. THAT is why I will be the Travelin' Tammi Show for the next 3 months. I've got to encourage them, push them, reward them, and correct them so that we can do what we need to do.

It's called being a manager.

Have I mentioned how much I really love this job?!?!?!?

Posted by Tammi at September 28, 2006 05:05 AM | TrackBack