Idea 46: The planning/implementation ratio
If I had eight hours to chop down a tree I'd spend six sharpening my axe.
Abraham Lincoln
Imagine two groups tackling the same common task. Group A skimps on planning. The leader is action centred in the wrong sense of that phrase – he regards thinking as a waste of time. As a consequence, Group A takes a long time to complete the task. Nobody in that group is clear on the objective; alternative courses of action have not been explored.
By contrast, Group B takes adequate time to plan. The objective is made clear and definite; time limits and other boundaries are clarified. The optimum course of action or solution is chosen from a list of feasible options. There may even have been a brainstorming session ...
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