Strategic planning is often overlooked and the very mention of it can trigger the dreaded eye-rolls. Yet, if you ask most business owners if they go through strategic planning exercises with any frequency the answer is most often “no” or “not enough”. But why?
The bigger the company, the more necessary and ingrained strategic planning is within the organization. That’s a cue to small business owners who are serious about growth.
I know what you’re thinking… isn’t action more important than planning?
Counter question - what if the action you’re taking is just helping you maintain the status quo?
Common Rebuttals:
How can I stop and plan when I have X# of (orders/clients) that need to be serviced?
I don’t have time to hire expensive consultants that are only going to tell me what I already know.
Plans just sit on the shelf and collect dust.
I tried to plan in the past and it didn’t work.
All true statements - if you want them to be.
You could try these alternatives:
I’m going to get serious about strategic planning and hold my team and myself accountable toward activating the plan.
I’m going to invest time, capital and resources to ensure my strategic plan works.
I’m going to make the time to make it work.
So, which do you want to be true? (pro-tip: always pick the better choice).
My advice - put yourself in an uncomfortable situation that will challenge/stretch you and your team.
Power to the Entrepreneur!
Tim Martinez
“The Inside Man”
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Nice build from the post I posted yesterday: The difference between strategy and planning.