Creating a Game Plan for Victory: Word on the Street — November 10th thru November 14th

I Love College Football

It’s exciting. It’s fun. It’s often unpredictable. Whatever you think of the current debate about college athletics, I still believe that the college game has far less of the “show and glow” arrogance of pro athletes.

To me, the time and effort that goes into creating a winning game plan is amazing. Some teams have a clear defensive mindset, others are more offensive. Which approach creates the highest victory percentage is debatable.

But one thing is sure. No matter how great your defensive game plan, you still have to score at least a field goal to win, assuming you keep the other team scoreless. Yes, I know you can get a safety and win with only 2 points. But that’s rare.

Managing a business is no different. Recently Mel and I were asked, “Are you on the Offense or on the Defense as a business?” I said, “Defense,” and Mel said, Offense.” Honestly, we were both right, but it depended on our individual focuses over the past several months. There are many companies clearly on offense in some areas of their business, but reacting in others.

That’s not to belittle defense. Sometimes you find yourself with a good game plan, one that allows you to score when needed, one that is solid enough to defend the pass from the competition. That’s balance.

However, the question sticks with me. Can you really be successful long-term as a growing business, if you are not on the offensive most of the time? Simply said, does it not stand to reason that we would all rather be playing a game with a comfortable lead as opposed to playing so safe that winning always depends on a 50-yard field goal as time runs out?

Talking is Easy

Talking about your plan is easy. Executing it is hard. Whether it’s group resistance to change, cash flow issues, technology implementation, communication snafus, or just feeling too darn busy to execute plans today that will not bear fruit for 3-6 months.

This is where your team comes into play. If your team is on board and each player has a clear idea of their role, and they do their part executing their roles, then you should be able to move the ball down the field. But as a manager, or as a management team, I would challenge you to ask these questions,

• Are we playing offense?
• Do we have a plan?
• Does each player understand their role within the game plan?
• Is there accountability to the team? And feedback?

For our business, this is something we are working very hard at right now. And it’s challenging. Good challenging . . . the kind that helps a team grow and move a business to a new level.

How about your business? Are you offensive or defensive minded? What challenges do you face when creating a long-term game plan for success?

I would love to hear your comments and feedback.

Be well and have a great weekend with your families.

–Kevin
http://twitter.com/kevin_carty
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/kevin-carty/3/800/32a

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