Lesson #12
You'll Never Reach Critical Goals without a Definitive Timetable
Even the craftiest plan doesn't have a snowball's chance of succeeding unless an agenda is set that lays out when you will reach specific objectives, and concrete metrics that measure your progress. You need to be a disciplined zealot in order to create a definitive schedule like this. I am always amazed by how many companies and executives don't know how to build or use a timetable that charts critical benchmarks. Would you ever decide to embark on a trip without knowing where you were going, and determining when you might get there?
Timetables are critical for every aspect in a business. They must have meat on their bones. A functional timetable can spell the difference between just treading water and moving ahead toward a goal. Not only must they contain dates and waypoints that chronicle every major step of your journey, but they also need to factor in accountability by including who is responsible for what tasks and by when. A structure like this can—and probably will—change, as dictated by plans B, C, and D. However, you always need to have one—or you'll never be able to chart where your start-up stands on its way to becoming a functioning business.
The early days of OfficeMax found my teammates and me in full-court-press mode—not only in terms of work output, but also in hours we devoted to the cause. We had a timetable with specifics in place that I was committed to meeting. We had the attitude ...
