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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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Plan Your Work & Work Your Plan

by Rick Baker
On Feb 14, 2012

Some business people Plan Their Work & Work Their Plan. These people feel most comfortable when they have spent the time to plan before they act. These people feel confident because their plan-then-work approach to business has been successful. They expect there is a good chance success will repeat itself.

Other business people Take Each Day As It Comes. These people feel comfortable about their abilities and see no need to spend much time planning. These people feel confident because their day-by-day approach to business has been successful. They expect there is a good chance success will repeat itself.

There is one more group of business people: people who are not particularly comfortable or confident. They, for one reason or another, receive no particular forward-guidance or positive-direction from their past experiences. They feel, at best, acceptance of today's business-at-hand. Similarly, they feel, at best, acceptance of the fact they will experience tomorrow's business-at-hand. They feel no particular need to plan. They obtain no particular gratification from work actions.

Self-development experts and business gurus teach support Plan Your Work & Work Your Plan

I am not aware of any business guru who teaches Take Each Day As It Comes.

I have written a number of articles on this topic...for example, Strategic Planning - Why Bother!

I know, and am fascinated by, a very-successful business leader who favours Take Each Day As It Comes.

I learn everything I can about planning.

Here are a few things I have learned:

  • Napoleon Hill may have been the first to write the phrase "Plan the Work and Work the Plan"...in his classic self-development bestseller 'Think and Grow Rich' (1937).
  • Experts have identified 'Plan' as distinct activity linked to the pre-frontal cortex of the human brain....Executive BrainSmarts.
  • Planning provides an opportunity to think through the possible scenarios and possible actions before they are performed...optimizing the use of talents and skills...and developing a mindset that understands we are not limited to accepting circumstances and situations, to a degree we can create circumstances and situations.
  • There are many ways to approach planning: if you want to inject some creativity then I recommend Edward de Bono...for example, Six Thinking Hats

 

Footnote:

I just re-read Brain Tracy's 2003 book GOALS! [and I recommend this book]

In GOALS!, Brian Tracy provides the following answers to the question - Why Plan?

  1. To Organize your thinking about the key issues.
  2. To think through the Actions before you begin.
  3. To allow thorough discussion in order to identify flaws and say What if?
  4. To identify weaknesses
  5. To identify Strengths and Opportunities
  6. To focus time and money on those 1 or 2 vital things that are essential
  7. To save Time, money, and Energy

 

Tags:

Business Plan: Writing Plans | Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things | Leaders' Thoughts

The Perfect Pitch

by Rick Baker
On Feb 16, 2011
More thoughts on pitching business ideas
 
I had the pleasure of visiting with my friend Chris Labrador at The Communitech Hub a week ago.
 
At one point in our conversation we discussed business ideas and how to pitch business ideas, what works and what does not work.
 
I was impressed by Chris’ recommendations, which I will now share with you.
 
Chris recommended pitches be no longer than 5 slides.
 
Chris recommended those 5 slides cover the following:
  1. Clearly state the problem/opportunity (the two sides of the same coin)
  2. Why it's worth solving/winning (dimensions things and puts them into perspective)
  3. Who is the competition (quantitative & qualitative assessment of 'belief' systems - tangible and perceived - in play)
  4. How to address the problem/opportunity and beat the competition (the key elements of the value proposition ad differentiators)
  5. Assuming you've made it this far, the roadmap (key activities and milestones over the next significant period of time)
Chris – thank you for sharing your thoughts and excellent advice.

Tags:

Business Plan: Writing Plans | Communication: Improving Communication

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