Beverlee Rasmussen CEC PCC You may think of a theme as something saved for parties or English essays. Did you know it’s also an effective tool for leading your small business?
A theme is a simple thing. It’s a recurring idea that shows up in all your business goals. When you identify your theme, it acts as a guide.
It’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day tasks and last-minute projects. The stress starts to build and the endless list of “to-do’s” never seems to get smaller. When you have a theme for the year, it helps you prioritize and focus on big-picture goals. Using a theme you can delegate and re-prioritize tasks and projects.
Not only is a theme good for you as the leader, but it’s great to help motivate your team. A theme acts as a guiding idea so that everyone knows what they are working towards, which gives them purpose. And it’s well documented that purpose is a key factor in motivation.
How to choose your business theme
An annual business theme doesn’t have to be complicated, it just needs to feel right. What’s your big picture goal? What recurring idea keeps coming up in every meeting lately?
An easy way to structure your theme so it’s clear for everyone is to keep it short and memorable. Imagine it needs to fit on a bumper sticker. It’s helpful to start brainstorming your theme by starting off with “This is the year of_____” or “This is the year to____” and then you can fill in the blank.
Once you know your theme (or if you need help deciding), reach out to your team for feedback. You want everyone aligned with your vision and goals. If your team doesn’t agree on your theme, then perhaps you are missing something.
For example, last year at Systems Business Coach®, we focused on developing our products. This year we want to focus on selling them. So I thought our theme could be, “the year to make money“.
While the idea was on track, the actual words were not very inspiring. Yes, making money is important, but the team felt our theme had to mean something more than just making a buck, it required a sense of purpose. I had to turn back to the drawing board.
That’s when a friend gave me a coffee mug as a gift. Written simply on the side was the word “grow”. Then it clicked for me. That’s what we needed to focus on this year. And when I shared it with my team, it resonated with them too. “This is the year to grow“.
List of business theme ideas
I understand not everyone gets their theme gifted to them on a mug! If you aren’t sure what your business theme is this year, here are a few (145!) ideas:
This is the year of/to…
- Systematization
- Finishing projects
- Starting projects
- Product development
- Marketing
- Systems thinking
- Systems development
- Team building
- Prosperity
- Peace
- Network
- Connection
- Accountability
- Financial growth
- Balance
- Streamline
- Perseverance
- Creativity
- Money
- Operations
- Small steps
- Trust
- Sewing seeds
- Align my business with my values
- Generosity
- Collaboration
- Curiosity
- Innovation
- Education
- Gratitude
- Freedom
- Meeting goals
- Nurture
- Community
- Dedication
- Risk-taking
- Stability
- Pro-activeness
- Fun
- Abundance
- Persistence
- Reputation building
- Building equity
- Focus on process
- Strategic thinking
- Confidence
- Listen and respond
- Personal mastery
- Wealth
- Release
- Appreciate
- Share
- Dream
- Discover
- Design
- Focusing on solutions
- Managing energy
- Family
- Profit
- Communication
- Change
- Team learning
- Health
- Analyze
- Intention
- Taking action
- Global leadership
- Structure
- Service
- Attracting customers
- Positive thinking
- Selling
- Motivation
- Empathy
- Reliability
- Belonging
- Maximize revenue
- Production
- Workflow
- Technology
- Understanding
- Consistency
- Marketing globally
- Customer experience
- Evaluation
- Organize
- Plan
- Lead
- Guide
- Build
- Quality
- Giving back
- Transitioning
- Time management
- Save
- Take care of yourself
- Work-life balance
- Rewards
- Cash flow
- Decrease costs
- Expansion
- Order
- Compensation
- Positive attitudes
- Support
- Update
- Scale
- Define
- Strengthen
- Boost
- Commitment
- High performance
- Implementation
- Renew
- Revive
- Inspire
- Documentation
- Showcase
- Contribute
- Culture
- Being present
- Digging deeper
- Retention
- Customer satisfaction
- Keeping promises
- Distribution
- Promotion
- Joy
- Courage
- Preparation
- Tenacity
- Enthusiasm
- Passion
- Forward movement
- Potential
- Conviction
- Continuous improvement
- Knowledge
- Contribution
- Reflection
- Recognition
- Delight
- Engage
- Choice
- Openness
Share this list of business theme ideas with your team!
What’s your theme going to be this year?
Until next time, enjoy your Entrepreneurial Journey!
