Accurate Planning

We all have days when we feel that our planning is little better than throwing darts at our calendar and hoping. Granted, we do not have control over everything. There are many demands which lurk in the shadows to blindside us whenever we think we have everything under control.

We need to look at our accuracy as a ratio. How often our planning state was correct, and how often we had to move on to plan B, C or D. Some of the best hitters in the major leagues only hit in the 300’s. If you’re planning is consistently 50-50 then you are doing a pretty good job. Granted, there are times you will be better, and times that will not be quite that good. The idea is to keep swinging for the fence.

The real trick is to be able to figure out, fast, what others are throwing at you on any given day. If you recognize the change-up of what’s coming at you, it makes it easier for you to adjust, or just move on to plan B or C. You may be looking at this and figuring that this means more work on your part. Isn’t a little more work worth not just standing there and being caught flat-footed?

When you’re out to razzle-dazzle your fans whether at home taking care of the house, or doing battle in the corporate environment, a little planning, and preparation, can absolutely make you look like a star performer. How do you do this? Be observant, and be able to tie cause-and-effect together. Know what customarily happens on each day of the week, and then try to understand ‘who’ asked different when ‘what’ happens. This is kind of like lining up your own, ‘If This, Then That.’

If you watch old movies, you may remember something like this between Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, or several of the other paired stars like in The Thin Man.  It is not very hard to do, just pay a little attention and look for who want something different and what might have caused the request. Being up on top of work requests and needs will save you a lot of time and trouble by not having to either redo something or do something completely different.

As with everything being suggested this week, this is not hard considering what it will save you in time and effort. Being able to anticipate needs and being prepared, I would think, is a trait that would be sought after in almost any work environment.

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Author: Mike Balof

A retired Air Force Master Sergeant, Mike used to lay in bed at night and worry about what would happen if his plant closed or found himself without a job. One day his plant closed. Rather than panic and hysteria (OK, maybe a little) Mike found himself carried away on the adventure of his life. Mike started with the best job he ever had working at Home Depot. He spent 8 years working with job seekers at a local workforce center, helping them to find employment. He then started his own company developing courses, writing books and urging others to follow their own paths into the future. Mike holds a Master of Arts in Adult Education and Training and a Bachelor of Business Management, earned through the University of Phoenix and an AAS degree in Electronics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. Mike is a member of the Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society. View all posts by Mike Balof