All Dressed Up Without Knowing Where To Go

Long-Term Planning and Outlook

How are you going to get to your destination if you don’t know where you’re going?

Your business may be brimming with success, but if you don’t have a goal, where is your business going? Before you can set out to go anywhere, you must first have a plan.

Do you know where you’re going to be one year from now? How about five years from now? What about 20 years? If you don’t know where you’re going with your business, how do you know which direction to head in the coming year?

Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, in his book talks about a strategy he used where he would look out and set long-term goals (10 years), and then bring them back to where he wants to take the company in the next 90 days, nothing in between. He believed that you must have a long-range plan and destination in mind, but then take it back to what you need to do in the next 90 days to work towards your destination. His reason? You need to know your long-term vision, but the world changes too much to plan ahead with a specific action plan any more than 90 days out. Interesting philosophy.

This is my challenge to you. Do you know where you want to be in 15 or 20 years? If you don’t, I suggest you figure it out. Once you have that answer, then do you know what your team should be doing over the next 90 days to get you moving towards that long-term objective?

It reminds me of a story that was once told to me about a man and his family who set out on a long journey from their home in L.A. Imagine a man who climbs into his car with his family and his neighbour asks him where he’s going, and he answered, “I don’t know.”

The neighbour then asks the man how long he will be gone for, the man answers, “I don’t know.”

Well then the next logical question is how will he know when he’s arrived to his destination?

Instead imagine the same family heading on their journey and the neighbour asking him where he’s going and he answers, “Miami”.

The neighbour then asks how long he’ll be gone for, the man answers; “About two weeks.”

Does the man know exactly what route he going to take to get to Miami? No. All he needs to know before he starts is the directions to the freeway, and that Miami is the final destination. The rest, he’ll figure out along the way with help from maps and road signs.

That goes the same for you and your business. You may not know all the details and every step you’re going to take over the next 10 or 20 years. All you need to know is what your destination is ultimately going to be, and what steps you need to take over the next 90 days that will start you moving towards that final destination. The rest, you’ll reassess every 90 days or so and make adjustments along the way.

I know I’ve been talking a lot about goal setting and planning recently. This is mostly because it is very timely right now early in the new year. It is also very timely for me right now as we’re beginning a new year at Green Village Home & Garden.

So my challenge is for you to make a long-term plan and figure out your destination. Then bring it back to the next 90 days and figure out what your company needs to do to make that first step in the right direction.

Andy

P.S. Check out a related post from The Branding Strategy Insider about how The CEO Must Drive The Brand