The Winning Manager’s Playbook

Engage everyone in collecting information

As we noted previously, most business plans are created at the end of the fiscal year, as a once-a-year activity. Typically, a great deal of energy and time is expended by the team to collect and analyze information, create strategies and goals, and write the plan—all in a short period of time.

This is a bit like preparing for a track meet by working out the week before the event. We’ll have expended some effort, for sure, but our results are likely to be disappointing. Things might have been different, however, if a training regimen had been a regular part of our life style, rather than a last-minute rush.

So, how can we change this? How can you get everyone to value and participate in a planning process? ...