| "Things alter for the worse spontaneously, if they | | | | one who gets there first. |
| be not altered for the better designedly". That | | | | Race day arrives and your neighbor is off and |
| quote from Thomas Bacon was uttered back | | | | running. He is gone out of site before you have |
| around the year 1600, but it is as good advice | | | | gone a mile. Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention |
| today as it was back then. In fact, given the rate | | | | that he is driving a Porsche, and you are driving a |
| of change today, I would argue that it is even | | | | minivan. Things don't look too good eh? |
| more relevant! | | | | Well, 500 miles later, you are sitting there, having |
| You know that things will change. You know your | | | | dinner at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco |
| market will always be in flux, with new companies | | | | when he comes flying down the road, just getting |
| entering it, new products and services appearing, | | | | into town. It would probably be nice if you bought |
| new customers, new regulations, new technology, | | | | him a nice glass of wine with your million dollar |
| companies going out of business, and on, and on, | | | | prize. |
| and on. Change will happen. | | | | How in the world, you are saying, did I beat the |
| So, it begs the question - why plan if there is | | | | Porsche? The answer is really quite simple, you |
| going to be so much change? | | | | planned your trip. You took the time to go to |
| Indeed, in his book The Strategy Paradox, Michael | | | | AAA or Google Driving Directions to map out |
| Raynor notes that managers must make choices | | | | your route. You found out in advance where the |
| with far-reaching consequences today, but must | | | | detours where, and where traffic was likely to be |
| base those choices on assumptions about a | | | | backed up (if you have driven anywhere in |
| future they cannot predict. If the future does not | | | | California, there are plenty of those spots!). |
| turn out as expected, these strategies can fail | | | | You know what else you did, you had one of |
| horribly. | | | | those fancy new Global Positioning Satellite |
| It is quite difficult to accurately predict what the | | | | devices in your car so that it was near impossible |
| future will hold, and the further out you try to | | | | to get lost. Oh, by the way, your GPS was the |
| predict, the less accurate you will be. Think about | | | | really neat kind that gave you real-time updates |
| the weather forecast. How often have you relied | | | | on traffic conditions and construction delays - in |
| on the local weather forecast to plan some | | | | other words, you had a great strategy and |
| important activity, and then gotten rained out. | | | | intelligent flexibility. |
| Strategic Planning is, no matter how you "dress it | | | | As I mentioned earlier, one of the greatest |
| up", a guessing game. By being very rigorous in | | | | benefits of doing strategic planning is the incredible |
| your planning, you can stack the odds that your | | | | amount of information you gather in the process. |
| guesses will be right, or at least right enough. And, | | | | That information will allow you to be very |
| even more critically, the process that you go | | | | sensitive to changes in your market, and to react |
| through to create your plans will yield tremendous | | | | to them in a way that ensures your continued |
| information and insights into your markets, your | | | | profitability. That information will enable you to |
| competitors, and your own company. | | | | cope with the fickle demands of customers and |
| These insights are perhaps the best reason that | | | | the free-ranging attacks of the competition. |
| going through the process of creating a strategic | | | | Prepare to take advantage of a world |
| plan is well worth the effort. As an example, | | | | interconnected in ways not yet understood; of |
| suppose you were going to get in a road race | | | | huge quantities of money searching for profitable |
| with your neighbor. The race was going to take | | | | ideas; of a world where people are increasingly |
| you from San Diego, California to San Francisco, | | | | ready to pay to save time, and a world where |
| California, a distance of about 500 miles. Suppose | | | | change occurs with marvelous regularity. Prepare |
| further that there is a $1,000,000.00 prize for the | | | | with great plans, and greater knowledge. |