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Test how good you are at drawing a business plan up.
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Starting from scratch? Team is the magic word
I realized that not a single component was pre-assembled, the precise moment I opened the package… this reminded me, the first business plan I prepared: not a business assumption nor a selling forecast figure were properly discussed and approved by BOD… I tried to say to myself ok, it’s nothing to be depressed... false!!! I couldn’t even believe in my words! I instantly thought that only a good and supportive team could have helped me out!
I realized that not a single component was pre-assembled, the precise moment I opened the package… this reminded me, the first business plan I prepared: not a business assumption nor a selling forecast figure were properly discussed and approved by BOD… I tried to say to myself ok, it’s nothing to be depressed... false!!! I couldn’t even believe in my words! I instantly thought that only a good and supportive team could have helped me out!
Working under time constraints? Take care of others’ expectations
The right moment your wife is back home and your living room still looks like a battle field, you’re going to have some serious troubles; pretty much the same could happen if you missed your HQ deadline. It’s always difficult to deal with unfulfilled expectations. Why don’t you consider to improve the perception of your progress keeping your stakeholders updated, all the time?
Moving one step back…be patience (if you can)
Assembling and planning are both trial and error processes, therefore I should have considered normal to move one step back before making two steps forward… yes, I knew that getting from A to B wouldn’t have been straightforward… but I couldn’t imagine that, in my case, would have been zigzagging as a mountain road!
Stop blaming others? Difficult but necessary
Time was running out and bookcase/business plan were not finished yet… whose fault was it? Easy… I though it was everybody else’s fault! … too many people had been calling on the phone, interrupting me too many times… I was given unreliable information to work with and (most importantly) the direction of the Earth's spin axis was changing (!!)… ok, blaming others was the easiest outlet for my anger… but I forced myself to be more rational… not easy!
Assembling and planning are both trial and error processes, therefore I should have considered normal to move one step back before making two steps forward… yes, I knew that getting from A to B wouldn’t have been straightforward… but I couldn’t imagine that, in my case, would have been zigzagging as a mountain road!
Stop blaming others? Difficult but necessary
Time was running out and bookcase/business plan were not finished yet… whose fault was it? Easy… I though it was everybody else’s fault! … too many people had been calling on the phone, interrupting me too many times… I was given unreliable information to work with and (most importantly) the direction of the Earth's spin axis was changing (!!)… ok, blaming others was the easiest outlet for my anger… but I forced myself to be more rational… not easy!
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Facing the unexpected
Missing pieces, a coffee stain on furniture assembly instructions (gosh… step 14 and 15 completely unreadable… and now?), sudden and substantial adjustments in business targets… in those cases I found useful to stop looking at details, focusing on the big picture, instead. It was much easier imaging and taking the right steps, looking at the situation from a broader perspective. Accepting compromises … to what extent? Some nuts and bolt are left over (!!), but now the bookcase stands in front of you! Ok, it looks a bit wobbly but you know… there is no such thing as perfection, the best is the enemy of the good… you keep repeating these mantras in your head. However, accepting inaccuracies is not that easy especially in business planning! It’s fundamental to understand exactly to what extent each inaccuracy can affect ratios and bottom line of your Plan. Yes; you might hope that the overall result of mistakes/inaccuracies is nil… but remember Murphy's Law: anything that can go wrong, will! |
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Learning curves and self-confidence (be careful)
Your learning curves have been amazing (you assembled the first drawer in 15 minutes while the fourth in 5…), you have found new ways to speed up the assembly/planning process. There is nothing new under the sun! Knowledge is often acquired through a learning by doing approach. However, don't rely too much on your experience. An excessive self-confidence makes you blind, leading you to underestimate risks and warning signs of mistakes. Share your success with others Technical competence, experience, common sense and (most importantly) collaboration with others let you succeed and now it’s time to thank your team! Autore: Roberto Ceccarelli - 2019
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Credits: images from Freepik.com
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