You Gotta Have a Plan!
“Let all things be done decently and in order.” 1 Corinthians 14:40 (KJV)
I strongly believe in the statement that everything rises and falls on leadership. If leadership isn’t the main focus or the center of an organization, it WILL fail. That’s why I’m so passionate about developing leaders. EVERY organization should be having some sort of leadership training or development program. If you want a strong organization the leadership must be strong. A weak organization is a byproduct of weak leadership. Many people fail to make leadership the foundation of their organization. Another problem I see with organizations is that they are lacking organization. An organization must have organization. You shouldn’t be called an organization if things are not organized. We must put the “organization” back in organization. Part of being a good leader is knowing how to be a good planner and how to organize things. Many leaders lack the basic skills of planning and being organized. You should NEVER have an unorganized organization. Everything should be done decently and in order. You have to have a plan. The problem with a lot of leaders is that they don’t like to plan, they want to “wing” everything or they try to just “pull it off.” The days of spontaneous (on the spot) leadership is OVER, we need more strategic leaders. We need leaders who are equipped with a plan! A plan for their lives, their organization, the leaders under them and a plan for the future. I was once told that “Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance.” When you plan things in advance you can prevent unnecessary failure. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Simple. If you fail at planning you plan on failing. You must have a plan. Even God has a plan for our lives on this earth and He has our eternity in mind. He is the Ultimate leader. He even has a plan for the hard times we go through. He is intentional. We must also start becoming intentional. It’s time to get intentional! Success is never accidental it’s always intentional! You can’t just hope everything falls into place and wish that things happen. You must get intentional! You have to MAKE things happen! Faith without works is dead. What’s the importance of planning and getting organized?
The Power of Planning…
- Eliminates stress
- Increases focus
- Prevents failure that’s unnecessary
- More productivity
STOP PROCRASTINATING! START PLANNING! Procrastination is the greatest enemy of success. Procrastination will rob you of life’s greatest opportunities and God’s greatest blessings. Never wait until the last minute to do something. Get your priorities together NOW! A successful organization requires successful organizing. Here are a few principles when it comes down to planning things.
Principles For Planning…
- Plan Ahead
Always plan ahead. Plan today for tomorrow. I’m not saying that you have to have your life figured out and know exactly what you’re going to do next month or next year. But if you’re going to do something, it needs to be properly planned out and thought out beforehand. Like I said before, never procrastinate and never wait until the last minute to get things done. Plan ahead.
- Always have a Plan B incase Plan A goes wrong.
The greatest leaders are anticipatory leaders. Great leaders not only solve problems but they anticipate problems. You must understand that not everything is going to go according to how you planned. Therefore you must always have a Plan B. If plan A goes wrong, you should always have a backup plan.
- The calendar is your best friend
Always look at your calendar when planning things. Set a firm and solid date that works best when you are trying to do something. Think about the time too.
- The 5 Requirements
Who, What, Where, When and Why are the 5 Requirements in successful planning. You must define these.
- Prioritize
Planning requires prioritizing. You can read my blog on priorities for more information.
- Create your plan and put your plan in motion
It does no good to plan if you aren’t going to work your plan. Think about the vision for the organization as well as short term and long term goals. After you’ve created the plan, put it in motion. Activate it!
There are four types of planning. I’m not sure who came up with them. I read an article and some leadership speaker named Mack Story was credited. I’m not sure. But let’s learn these types of planning and how each one plays a role in our organization.
Four Types of Planning …
- Operational Planning
HOW THINGS NEED TO GET DONE
This planning involves the day-to-day operations of the organization. It describes the way meetings, events and activities are done. It includes policies and procedures for the things of the organization. This is kind of similar to your bylaws. Operational Planning is about how things are to get done.
2. Strategic Planning
WHY THINGS NEED TO HAPPEN
This deals with the vision and mission of your organization. Where are you going? What is the legacy of the organization? What do we plan to accomplish? What decisions have to be made to ensure we sustain our success? This deals with the overall vision of the organization. Strategic planning deals with why we do what we do. We are intentional because we have a plan.
3. Tactical Planning
WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO
Tactical Planning makes sure what happened in strategic planning actually happen. Tactical planning sees what do we have to do to make sure our vision comes to pass. It’s taking those small baby steps in order to walk.
4. Contingency Planning
EMERGENCIES 101
This type of planning is when you need to have a plan B incase things go wrong. We’ve covered this already.
Every leader must be able to master operational, strategic, tactical and contingency planning. Every leader must have a plan and every organization must be organized. If we fail to plan we plan to fail. We must be equipped with a plan and be well organized if we want to reach our potential and see our organization reach greatness! No more procrastinating, being lazy and pulling things off. It’s time to get intentional! And it all starts with having a plan. Leaders… You Gotta Have A Plan!
