ServicesPlanning

Planning: To prepare, to make ready beforehand. Planning includes everything from gathering your energy and making a to-do list to a strategic plan with a vision, a mission and measurable objectives. Either you plan or you play whack-a-mole.

Task planning

It could be a new project or an old emergency. Something is happening that needs a resolution, something that really works. Is this déjà vu all over again? Every plan needs three things:iStock_000007951938SmallTurtle

  • Resources – what will it take to get the job done?
  • Actions – what do we have to do?
  • Time – how long will it take?

There’s an implied “why?” for each question. What if those resources need to be somewhere else? Are all those actions necessary and sufficient? And, last, but not least, why will it take so long? Get some tips at Common Planning Mistakes.

Near-term planning

Should it be a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly plan? That depends on your purpose. More importantly, making a plan takes work but plans are worthless unless you use them.

  • Use a plan to take a critical look at right now. Measure, don’t guess.
  • Use a plan to eliminate unrealistic or unnecessary actions or resources. This can save some serious money.
  • Use a plan for “what if?” What could happen if you increase sales by 100%?

Buying a business plan is a waste of money – it’s just a lot of words you can put on a shelf to collect dust. Value is really in the discussions and feedback from stakeholders. Need a facilitator or a critical eye? Give us a call.

Strategic planning

Heavy lifting builds the muscle that strengthens your business. Why do you get up in the morning? What keeps you awake at night? Put these questions into a framework that makes sense. Are you on first base or second base? Strategic plans take the view from 10,000 feet.

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  • Where are you going? That’s your vision.
  • How do you translate your vision into reality? That’s your mission.
  • How will you know you have arrived? These are your objectives.

Tired of playing whack-a-mole? Your business is going somewhere: is it where you want it to go? Find out by looking in the mirror. Are you getting closer to your vision? Is it the right vision?  Aim, then fire. Give us a call for a course correction.