Benjamin Disraeli famously said “As a general rule the most successful Man in life is the one who has the best Information”.
It’s Impossible to argue with this simple but emphatic point.
Any kind of strategic planning or decision making relies on best available Information.
In business or life we need to hold in high regard the value and Importance of Information, testing its reliability.
It’s well recorded that I am no fan of “procrastination” but neither am I a fan of wild decisions made without the benefit of assessment.
Strategic planning looks at both strengths and weaknesses, not just of our own business but also those of our competitors and the potential of our target markets.
Strategic thinking can take what is known, factor in what is possible and arrive at a route map that can be relied upon to get us to our destination within a deadline.
Finding a way out through a dense Forest is easier with a pathway to trust.
It Includes options for “unforeseen” circumstances that provides good control and monitoring, enabling us to stay on track.
Travelling without a map never works in life and certainly hinders achievement in business.
When someone asks “where are we now?” it should be evident from the strategic plan in place.
Having an “overview” means considering how to implement effective processes, systems and standards.
A strategy is a draft agreement that everyone can refer to, know their part and yes, accept personal accountability.
No-one should ever fear saying “we took a left there when we agreed to go right”.
Having the map to refer to avoids confusion, difficulty and disputes.
As the Americans often say “It keeps us on the same page”.
The worrying trend is that many Companies don’t have a strategic plan to refer to.
No matter how small or large, every business that expects to succeed needs one.
We can conclude then, that without one, we will have no idea where we will be in three years. Somewhere lost in the Forest seems likely.
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