Presidents Column

PLANNING FOR SUCCESS

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” So goes the oft quoted statement by Benjamin Franklin…applicable across all walks of life, from sport at all levels, to revising for exams… and most certainly to running a business. Whilst the last 2 years has perhaps taught us that there are still some things that you simply cannot plan for, this age old adage has particular significance when trying to navigate the uncertain times in which we find ourselves.

There has been many a tome written over the years extolling the virtues of different business planning and personal development strategies. Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People”, “Traction” by Gino Wickman and “Good to Great” by Jim Collins are just 3 examples of books that me and my business partner, Laura Hewett, have picked up regularly over the last few years…often revisiting the same passages and principles when looking for inspiration. Some people can become particularly evangelical about their methodology of choice, but my personal take is that there really isn’t a “one size fits all” approach. Every business is different, and attempting to dogmatically apply a fixed set of criteria can lead to unforeseen consequences. Better to take all the best bits from the various different books and white papers out there and come up with an approach to business planning that suits you and your organisation. You can “Begin with the End in Mind” (Covey), subscribe to Wickman’s “operating system” or identify your “hedgehog” as Collins recommends…or do all of these things – and more – to develop the right strategy for your business. In truth, there are countless lines of attack when it comes to planning for success…the only hard and fast rules are to make sure that you do indeed plan and then follow through with your commitments. There are always uncertainties in the world – a credit crunch, Covid or conflict to name a few – and it is only through planning that we can thrive when times are good and build the resilience to survive when the going gets tough. The books I have mentioned above might not meet your needs but I would wholeheartedly recommend taking the time to try and find a guide (or two) that work for you.