Many clients have similar challenges. One common concern is planning in uncertainty. Read on for the answer to: How do I plan long-term goals when there are too many variables?
How to Handle Uncertainty
Uncertainty is conundrum for every business leader. You want concrete goals and clear action steps, but the future is too foggy to plan with confidence. So, what can you do instead? I suggest three steps.
1. Embrace Uncertainty
Embrace unpredictability as an opportunity rather than a limit. You can’t predict the future, but you can get yourself and your business ready to move forward. I recommend building your foundations and fitness.
2. Build Your Foundations & Fitness
Focus on the fundamental disciplines that keep your business strong: good leaders and team, strong operations and financials, excellent products and service. Excellent foundations will give you the fitness to overcome challenges and maximize opportunities.
3. Plan Nimbly
Plan to adapt as events unfold. Set goals as far as you can reasonably foresee. Then repeat the process, as events unfold. This gives you relevant near-term goals and the flexibility to act on both challenges and opportunities.
The Business Case
From a mindset perspective, these strategies clear the mental clutter, build motivation, inspire productive actions, and increase flexibility for you and your team.
The business case is equally compelling. Venture capitalist, Sean Jacobsohn highlights chronic ways businesses fail in Harvard Business Review. Weak fundamentals cause most failures: poor leadership, finances, products, or service. Jacoboshn recommends four essentials for success: build a great team; keep customers happy; focus on business fundamentals; stay open-minded and nimble.
Next Steps
If you’re stuck because long-term planning is impossible, give yourself a break! Spend your energy building your foundations and fitness. Flesh out particulars as the future unfolds. Even better, contact me and we’ll solve it together.
