Today and every day this week we are going to talk about the business planning process. Every year, every quarter and every week the leadership team works on the plan and the execution of the plan for the business. 

It starts with an annual meeting that is usually held in the 4th quarter of the calendar year to prepare for the upcoming year. This year for a variety of scheduling reasons we held this part of the process in the first week of January. 

The annual planning cycle is used to reaffirm the goals for the year in the context of the three year plan and the ten year plan for the business. 

We revisit the mission of the business and either reaffirm the mission or change it. So far we have not changed it. Our mission is create communities that people feel compelled to call home. 

Beyond a bunch of flowery language, the mission is really about helping guide which projects we want to undertake, and more importantly, how we want to undertake them.

We have so many opportunities to fulfill that mission. When we are designing a residential subdivision, we have a choice. We can simply cram in as many units as the zoning will allow, maximize density and move on to the next. Or we can be thoughtful in the design of the subdivision and remember that people will choose to live here.