Recognise This! – The reality of today often changes the best laid plans for the future.
After the holidays, it feels good to get back into the daily routine. Catching up with team members during the last few days, I heard several stories of time with family and friends and, for my American colleagues, extra time enjoyed with family due to massive snow storms. I asked, “When snowed in with family for an extended period, how do you pass the time?” My team member answered, “We played lots of games. It was fun to watch my dad anticipate his next play, but then realise his planned move had been blocked when his turn came. He’d nearly always have to rethink his strategy from the beginning.”
Therein lies a good lesson for all of us – Plan for the future, but keep your eye on the present.
If we’re too focussed only on our strategic plan for the future, we may miss the small daily changes that can affect our strategy implementation. If instead we focus too strongly on the day-to-day, we fail to anticipate changing future needs and lay the groundwork to achieve long-term goals. Success lies in the balance – setting a strategic course for the future while monitoring and incorporating daily changes into the tactical path.
What’s your strategic course? How have you seen daily occurrences impact or change your direction?
