“No battle plan ever survived contact with the enemy.”
– Dwight Eisenhower, et al.
“Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”
– Will Rogers
No plan – regardless of how well conceived and on-target it may be – will produce any desired result unless the plan components are translated into specific actions and acted upon. Results are achieved through execution, not planning. Achieving your desired results requires both planning and execution.
Every business does some form of planning. Even the absence of a plan is a decision to operate in a random and often chaotic manner. The process and level of planning sophistication will vary from business to business. In some businesses, planning is done on a very informal basis. In others, the process is well defined and structured.
Strategic planning, or annual operating planning, is the most recognized form of business planning. There are many other business activities that benefit from a sound planning process. Some of these activities are:
- Cash flow planning;
- Bringing a new product or service from concept to market;
- Bringing an existing product or service to a new market;
- Business restructuring;
- Business succession and/or transition.
Whether a plan is drafted on the back of a napkin or printed and bound, it represents only the first step toward achieving your desired results. Foxwood Associates helps our clients develop great plans and execute them.
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