You had an epiphany two weeks ago and had an awesome idea. You shared it with a few friends and associates and they agreed that it's an awesome idea. You wanted to get it moving quickly so you called your team and told them that it was starting the next day. Two weeks later you call a meeting and tell the team that they did not execute your plan properly and it failed. How could they allow your brilliant idea to flop? Well, take a look in the mirror... you're looking at the problem. You failed to plan!
You Need A Roadmap
One of the challenges with being a leader, especially a visionary leader, is that we know where we want to go but we don't always map out the plan to get there. I love a great saying (just ask anyone I've ever worked with) and there are many relevant sayings about preparations. "If I had an hour to cut down a tree I'd spend 45 minutes sharpening my axe." "If you don't know where you're going, any road will lead you there." "Plan your work and work your plan." There's even a scripture that speaks to planning "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?" (Luke 14:28). There are a number of steps visionary leaders can take to develop a plan for the team to follow. And just as your GPS will show you alterative ways to reach your destination, there are typically multiple ways in which you can design your plan. That's precisely why you need to map it our so everyone is taking the same route.
Great Ideas Still Need A Plan
Of course it's a great idea. It's your idea and you have great vision. But you have to map out the plan, it's goals, and how you might achieve those goals. In fact the first failure in many great ideas is understanding whether or not that wonderful idea even supports your overall goal and mission. What will it take to make your idea successful? Will executing this idea be a distraction for your team? Do you have the proper resources to activate your idea? Does your idea fit your purpose? These are all great questions that reinforce your need to back up and map out a plan because every great idea deserves a great execution plan.
Planning Speeds Up The Process And Produces Better Results
Many are reluctant to take the time to plan for fear that it will slow down the process. The reality is that slowing down to map out your course speeds up the process. I'm in Atlanta and I don't go to the dry cleaners without turning on my WAZE. That's because WAZE takes a moment to checkout all of the roadblocks along the way and determine the best course. As a result I'm mapping out the fastest route. The challenge with visionaries is we want to strike out on that idea while the fire is hot and fear that stopping down to go through a bunch of meetings will slow us down. On top of that if I go into a meeting with my idea, someone may thing they know a better way to do it. Guess what... they probably do. Their input might make your idea even more successful. Be willing to draw in the team at the beginning.
The Joy of This Blog
The Joy of this blog is that developing a road map doesn't negate the idea of a visionary leader. Rather, a plan helps the ideas of a visionary leader come to life. The question is are you willing to slow down to speed up your chances of success. You owe it to your team, yourself, and your great idea. We can help you change from "Ready Fire Aim" to "Ready AIM Fire!" Do you have a big idea but need another set of eyes to help you define the most effective way to get there? Ready Aim Fire is the essence of what we do at The Joy Of Business Strategy and we would love to listen and help you see the way forward. Plan - Focus - Win