After a weekend of strategic planning with a non-profit seeking to make a big difference in the world, Seth’s Godin’s reflections sum up perfectly the different stages in planning – when to be bold and explorative, and when its time to get down to the hard and detailed work of planning how to reach out goals:
Nuance is the sign of an intelligent observer. Nuance shows restraint and maturity and an understanding of the underlying mechanics of whatever problem were wrestling with. After all, if the solution was simple, we would have solved it already.
On the other hand, resorting to nuance early and often can also be a sign of fear, of an unwillingness to go out on a limb and make a difference. Hence the reactions of boards hiring consultants and CEOs, or of passionate primary voters. “Dont tell me its complicated. Just show me the guts to make something happen.”
My vote: your goals and your strategy must be simple. You must have passion and certainty in order to make a difference as a leader. Your tactics, on the other hand, should be layered, multi-dimensional and reflect the patience of someone who cares about reaching a goal.
via Seths Blog: The waffle paradox.
Using a timeline with today’s date at one end and your vision at the other is a good place to start the process of creating your detailed roadmap to success. If you can fill out the activities you need to do over next 1-3 months in detail then you’ve got a good start.
take a breath 