So youve set some goals, youre feeling ambitious, and youve promised yourself that youre going to follow through. Youre determined to make this year better than the last. And hopefully, it works out that way. But youve seen the reality, too. In spite of a sensible plan and good intentions, most people find themselves off course by March. Imagine if you could uncover the cause, stay the course, and get what you really want. The answer lies in having a solid starting pointa strategic plan that really works.
Every year, we meet thousand of decision makers around the country in our consulting and speaking work. Like you, theyre smart, ambitious, and theyre doing a decent job. But, theyre also often frustrated that they arent doing better. When we break down the element for them, we find that few if any of them have a good strategic plan they can work from. In fact, most of them dont even know how to create one.
The following is a mini lesson in strategic planning. We dont have a lot of space, but here are some important things to know when creating a basic plan.
1. Know the difference between a strategy and a tactic. Strategy is the plan that defines where...