Part II – Planning Must-Haves Every step of the plan has a due date - when we say we will get something done in the future, the future rarely happens in our lifetimes. However, when we say we will get it accomplished by 3rd quarter and set milestones for the January, March, May and August, results take place. Every step of the plan has a single person responsible for its completion – committees rarely get anything done unless the chairperson takes on the responsibility. The same holds true with departments, groups and other work teams; somebody needs to be responsible for shepherding the results. This doesn’t mean they do all the work, but they must hold others to the course. Plans must be documented and archived – when plans aren’t written and documented they get lost in the shuffle. Employees forget their responsibilities. Later on, disputes arise as to the actual results expected and commitments made. Plans must be reviewed – any plan without periodic review is a waste ...

Part I – The Season for Planning Before we begin, I’m not selling fancy leather bound planners, trendy books on the topic or heirloom quality prayer rugs.  I’m not here to convert you.  I could stand on my head and do double somersaults while I ranted on and on about the virtues of planning.  But all would be for naught.  Either you believe in planning or you don’t.  It’s just that simple. Instead this piece is designed for the believers and latter day converts-- for those who have consciously decided, “If we’re going to plan, we might as well get our money’s worth.”   With a little luck some people will recognize themselves as psychoplanners.  These are the folks with deep-seated allusions of planning.  Instead of believing they’re Napoleon, they conjure themselves as planners.  Allow me to illustrate with a story from my early career. We’ll go back to the world of polyester and leisure suits: the year 1981, the place the o...

It’s a time for reminiscing The big Times Square Ball is about to fall. 2014 slowly shuffles down Memory Lane; and 2015 boldly marches forward. The ghost of Dick Clark’s New Years Rockin' Eve shows past flash through the subconscious of America. TV pundits scour their previous 364 shows for memorable moments. Celebs step onto the red carpet and captivate us with half backed renditions of personal growth. Culture dictates this as the time of year for quiet reflection and forward thinking resolution. Taking momentary advantage of this space in time, let’s reflect: What new bit of technology did we discover in 2014? I personally discovered the power of the mobile app. Mid-year I noticed a young salesperson pull out their tablet and walk a customer through the selection of a complex industrial sensor. With the assistance of the app, this relative neophyte seller displayed the product/application skill of a seasoned veteran. Get ready, this one will impact our world...