Unit of 1 - Plan or be Planned For

At a recent seminar, I saw the phrase “Plan, or be Planned For”. I realized that this phrase is the essence of One Page Business Planning. As a business owner, you can either act on your plans or react to events as they happen. In previous articles I’ve written about the need for pilots to have flight plans and how business plans are like flight plans for business owners. Yet, most business owners operate without a “flight plan” and I’ve wondered why.

Most business owners will cite a variety of reasons for their lack of planning; they need to be flexible, fast on their feet, ready to change direction overnight. They’ll tell you drive and intuition, not meaningless reports, got them where they are today. The truth is that they are afraid to plan.

Planning removes the mystique surrounding the entrepreneur. They like flying by the seat of their pants and keeping others in the dark. Once they put their ideas and plans on paper the mystery is gone. I think many entrepreneurs are afraid to confront the realities of their business. They “think” their doing well. But, without a plan and a set of realistic goals, they have no way to measure their success.

The question is: do you want to plan for growth and guide it in a way that benefits the company, yourself, your family and your team? Or do you want to just “let it happen” and deal with the consequences later?” In truth, if you don’t plan, you will end up with things you don’t want, such as your customers choosing your competitors.

Beyond the fear of planning, lies a secret: planning is another word for good management. Maybe you can start a company without knowing how to plan. But if you don’t learn, you will eventually pay the price.

You may already be paying the price for poor planning, in areas such as employee performance and retention. Your employee’s perception of your company’s goals and management can impact their work habits and their willingness to work together as a team. Employees may also ask themselves if they should bet their careers on you. If they don’t see evidence of a plan for your company’s continued growth and success, why should they believe that one exists? Furthermore, if you are constantly reacting to what is happening, instead of acting according to plan, your team may lose confidence in your ability to lead.