Posts Tagged ‘planning’
August 24, 2011.
Steve jobs resigned as CEO of Apple. It was the right decision. It was an unselfish decision. It was a tough call to make. And, to take, as well.
“I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple”s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.”
Steve has cancer. He was in remission. But it returned. That’s what he’s referring to when he says, “. . . if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties”
Succession . . . Reflects Leadership
Institutions that go on and on . . . the British Royalty . . . the US Government . . . Apple . . . all recognize the need for succession planning. It’s akin to drafting your will. It’s your acceptance of your fragile mortality that we all understand and yet, most find difficult to acknowledge.
In your business, anticipating the inevitable — and acting accordingly — is ‘good business’.
If your business is to enjoy an uninterrupted existence, you must plan for it. That means you must PLAN. Not only for your annual objectives and daily tasks, but for it’s perpetuation over time. With you and, alas . . . without you, too.
KEY POINT:
Business perpetuation is never an accident — it reflects both strong leadership and your ability to have a plan in the first place.
Planning is a good thing. Action is, too. Together they are . . . great!
The moment you begin taking actions to achieve your goals you’re no longer planning. You’re DO-ing! And that’s a whole new ballgame.
Lesson: The Apollo Spaceflights
Before lift-off, before ever leaving earth’s orbit, the Apollo astronauts had a ‘plan’ for their mission to the Moon. It indicated where and when the astronauts would be from lift-off to touch-down. But their flight plan could never anticipate all the things that could happen. That’s why they made ‘minor corrections’ — a 2 second engine ‘burn’ here, a 5 second ‘burn’ there — throughout the mission.
Historically, the astronauts were on their ‘flight plan’ only about 2% of each flight! But, by regularly evaluating their position and taking corrective actions as needed, they always achieved, in the end, a successful flight.
Evaluation is Diagnosis . . . Done After ‘Lift-Off’
You begin your planning process by assessing where you are, now. As you implement your plan, you want to assess how you are doing ‘now’ at regular intervals over time. You want to compare your ‘actual vs. planned’ results. As you find discrepancies (trust me, you will!), you can use a problem-solving process to help you take actions to correct the situation. Eventually, you will achieve your larger goal because you’re making corrections ‘in-flight’.
KEY POINT:
Periodic evaluations and corrective actions . . . lead to SUCCESS!
You set a goal because it’s important. Achieving it makes you more likely to succeed. You want to achieve your goal. That’s where the ‘Methods’ step of your planning comes into play.
Actions Achieve Goals
Achieving any goal requires a series of coordinated and aligned actions that turn your goal into a reality. For example, a ‘Vision’ goal might be to earn your M.D. degree. Your ‘Milestone’ goals might be to earn A’s in math, biology, physics and chemistry classes in college. And, one of your ‘Structural’ goals might be to register, attend and complete a course in how to study effectively.
Structural Goals Address Roadblocks
Once you establish your long-range goals, you’ll see things that, if not addressed, will prevent your vision from becoming a reality. Earning your M.D. degree requires not only the intellectual ability but your successful performance as a high school, university and medical school student. In business, not having a supportive organization or not having people who can perform as you need and expect to attract and retain clients are ‘roadblocks’. Those are what you set goals — and take actions — to address. Why? Because until you do, your ‘vision’ is at risk of not being realized. Simple.
KEY POINT:
Goals help you align actions to remove roadblocks to your success
