essays – consulting

Confession

I have a confession to make. 🙋‍♀️

I’m a strategic planning consultant whose plans don’t always work.

🤳 Sometimes the issue has been on me.

I haven’t gotten enough information or dived deeply enough into what’s really happening at an organization. I take the people at their word, and base discussions on the background they’ve given me.

👉 Sometimes the issue has been on my clients.

They don’t realize the full picture of how they operate or aren’t willing to dedicate the time needed to truly work through plans. Once the plans are created, they may get diverted onto other things that come up or revert to previous ways of doing things.

🤼 It’s not always my fault and it’s not always the fault of my clients.

Like a no-fault divorce, we don’t need to assign blame to either party.

🗺 The world changes, and the plans that look great one day may no longer work the next.

That’s why strategic planning is never a “one and done” thing. It’s an ever-evolving process that needs continuing attention and adjustment. It’s what makes them successful in the long run.

❓ What do you do when your well-laid plans don’t go well?