If you have ever (or ever have) the opportunity to work closely with me, you will find that my mind works in 2 paradigms. One is that I am not a fan of detailed/organized planning. What I mean by that is I do not like to have every minute of my day planned out for the next 3-5 years. I like to live in the moment, being able to quickly adapt if my environment changes. The second paradigm is that I love to strategically plan…even if it is for someone or something else. This part of me is usually thinking 10 steps to 10 miles ahead of where we are currently. Those that have only been exposed to the “lack of detail” part of me would say “why are you even thinking ahead, you probably didn’t even think of the details”. If we are talking at this specific moment, I would probably agree. But this second mindset usually has gone through every scenario I could think through. This part of me wants to stick to the plan, not change just because everything else is changing. These 2 thought patterns have taught me to accept and even like change at the same time as holding a strategic plan that focuses on the outline or the skeleton, and not the body. I love to be able to strategically plan items while living in the now which leads us to the title question: “Why bother with strategic planning, can’t we just focus on the now?”
Do you, your spouse & you, your company struggle with this question? Most of us are living to just survive the day, week, or year and do not have the capacity or ability to even think of the future and what lies ahead. Others live in my first paradigm, just wanting to live in the moment changing with the wind. A strategic plan exhausts you. In fact, you might even read articles that criticize strategic planning…from the beginning stages to execution. Keep in mind that these articles are usually written to help you in the process, not to forego it. In fact, most people and companies that like to operate freely without a strategy or those that like to know EVERY detail before moving forward confuse detailed planning and strategic planning. This is the very issue Roger Martin, author and leading strategic consultant to CEO’s of companies like Ford and Lego, mentions: “Mistaking planning for strategy is a common trap. Even board members, who are supposed to be keeping managers honest about strategy, fall into it. They are, after all, primarily current or former managers, who find it safer to supervise planning than to encourage strategic choice.”
You see, we need both types of people: those that like to live free/in the moment, able to change & adapt, and those that want to make sure we have looked at every detail. But we also need a third type: ones that want to make sure we have a strategic plan…a structure that holds you accountable, flexible, and able to think ahead. We need all 3 of these to be able to strategically think, plan, and execute well.
I could point to several other books, articles, quotes on the issues of strategic planning. I would argue that we tend to confuse detailed planning with strategic planning. To have a strategic plan, it allows for living in the now, to adapt and flex as things come up or change, or to develop detailed planning for the steps or areas you are currently facing. I want to pose these four questions as we answer the title question:
1. When was the last time you or your company reviewed your core values, or do you even have any articulated?
2. What is the purpose of\ doing things now?
3. Where do you want to end up?
4. How are you going to achieve your expected end-goal? What methods are you going to use?
This is at the core of true, authentic strategic planning when you go through us at Focalise. Do you see how I am not asking for details, but also asking for potential steps in achieving your end-goal? Strategic planning isn’t about pinning you to one specific detailed plan to achieve your goals. It will be centered around those 4 key questions. We can then go from there. It allows for living in the now, it allows for detail planning as you arrive at each marker, and it allows for you to hold yourself accountable to your core values and keep your eyes on the prize. So yes, you can live with the 2, actually 3 mindsets of living in the now and strategizing the future. It will take time to live and think in these mindsets. Most of you will not be able to do this, which is perfectly normal. Most people only can think in one of these paradigms. But I challenge you to find someone that can and allow them to help you along the way.
I want to end with this powerful quote when it comes to reflecting on the importance of strategic planning. “Wise leaders tend to prefer simplicity and brevity to detail and breadth. They hold fast to core values but are ready to be flexible about how to fulfill these” (Evans, Robert 2007).
-Brian Horner
Martin, Roger. (Jan/Feb 2014). The Big Lie of Strategic Planning. Harvard Business Review. Issue: January/February 2014.
Evans, Robert (Fall 2007). The Case Against Strategic Planning. Retrieved from: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.sais.org/resource/resmgr/imported/The%20Case%20Against%20Strategic%20Planning.pdf