Right off the Bat let me admit that I have “missed the target” on creating Project Plannings many times for most of my Life. In fact, sometimes I think my nickname should be The Blind Sniper! This Moniker is due to the many false starts/misses I created by “jumping off” improperly in the start-up process. I recently was reminded of this tendency for myself and others when at an Introductory Meeting for a new Project at our Church.
Competent and Intelligent Members at this meeting started to focus on a variety of “details of implementation”. It was SO Similar to a whole lot of other gatherings in my past. Whether the creation of a Ranch brokerage marketing plan, a new course or textbook, a Doctoral dissertation, or a gazillion other activities, the “Cookbook” for Success shares a common beginning point. At least it does in my feeble brain.
Rather than focusing on the HOW or WHEN, why not start with the WHY( Purpose) of this effort, whatever that might be. Once a common understanding can be “hashed out and clarified” the necessary first and even further steps can be more clearly identified. I realize this may sound obvious to some of the fine readers of this Tale. But stop and ask yourself…how many times have you had to “back track” on some effort because you “got way ahead of yourself” in the process? The answer is likely FAR MORE than you wished were the case.
Even those bright folks at GOOGLE set up their Maps with the FIRST QUESTION being….Where Do You Want To Go? Once that is established, the planned journey can begin with some greater likelihood of a successful arrival. Will there be chance of some Detours or Adjustments along the way? More than likely, yes. But at least the travel is in the right general direction with fine tuning to come as the journey progresses.
As I dwell on this idea, the Flashbacks of many False Starts come flooding back to the front of my Memory Bank. And a familiar saying comes to mind. Having Failed to Clarify Our Objective We Have Redoubled Our Efforts. And Now There is a VERY GOOD Likelihood We Are Headed In The Wrong Direction At TWICE The Speed.
IF we could only come to a general understanding of WHERE we are headed BEFORE putting the Car in Gear, we might get there in a bit more efficient and effective manner.
As one of the other regular columnists in this fine paper routinely says as his conclusion…THINK ABOUT IT!