Do Less, Take Longer, Use More Resources

As a strategy + execution consultant I review a lot of strategic plans. I assess a lot of strategic results. And in most cases, the results are underwhelming.

Why? Every organization I have ever worked with takes on too much. Too many objectives, too many strategies and too many other projects. And for some reason, everything apparently needs to start immediately. Oh, and who needs to get it done? Of course, the usual cadre of already insanely busy, get-it-done types.

So what’s the solution?

Do less, take longer, use more resources.

What??? What kind of counter-intuitive, capitulating leadership mantra is that?

Depending on your history, it might be the right one. If your track record is one of being over-ambitious and not meeting those ambitions, then your track record is failure. Which means people come to expect failure. To break that paradigm, you need to create the conditions for success.

That doesn’t mean the goal is to accomplish whatever, whenever with how-much-of-ever. It means reflecting on the past and recalibrating your thinking: what can realistically get done by when given available resources and the myriad of other demands?

Do less, take longer, use more resources. The payoff? Better results.

Your thoughts?

Michael

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