Have you ever had a plan that you thought was going to revolutionize your life and turn things inside out? I’m sure most readers of this blog are similar to me in the sense that planning is a big part of your role whether as an owner, operator, GM or management position. After all, effective planning is a big component of leadership. Business plans, family plans, wellness plans, financial plans, vacation plans and the list goes on. Usually my plans are converted to lists. I’m a big time list maker and it helps me to stay on track. Plus, one of my favorite things to do is strike my pen across a pending task. Believe it or not, lots of people still use paper and ink for these tools called pens….. at least I think
In 10 years of entrepreneurship I’ve learned that planning is rigged. Planning is a lot like baseball. In baseball there are two guarantees:
- You can’t get a hit if you don’t swing the bat
- Just because you swing doesn’t mean you’ll get a hit
That metaphor explains planning perfectly. In business, if you don’t have a plan, then you’re done before you get started. It’s like expecting to get on base without being in the batter’s box. Consequently, you can plan until your heart is content, but the only way to know if your plan is right is to implement it. In other words—step up to the plate and swing!
I’ve always gotten much further with shorter planning cycles and more swings. Sure, I strike out a lot but I get more swings than anybody else, and to me, every rep in a real ball game is worth 10 in the batting cages.
To me, that’s the only way to un-rig planning….one swing at a time!
Batters Up!
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