I’ve been asking myself this more frequently, just as a check – are the goals that I have set for myself in line with “the master plan”, or are they requiring a little refresh?
Let’s face it – in business and in life the master plan’s story never really gets all its T’s crossed and I’s dotted. There are always compromises made, re-working of the story’s subplot based on some other parallel subplot being renegotiated. Inevitably, there is a wrench or a monkey thrown somewhere in the middle of your story. You do a little dance, you make a sale, and compromise on x to keep y. In the end, for better or worse, you have a story.
Whether or not that story is something to be proud of is another matter and is where checking in with yourself and your team becomes critical. Frequent, scheduled touch bases often get lost in the chaos of trying to bring the master plan to life. Most importantly, if your master plan’s story does end up changing, these frequent touch bases ensure all the drivers in their individual cars are headed to the same destination, even if some have to take a detour.
So for me, I am more frequently touching base with myself, just to make sure that I am regularly assessing what I am doing against where I want to be. At work, we meet individually and as a group every week just to make sure that we’re on the same page, and tackle anything that needs to be addressed. Quick touch base to regroup, agree on what needs to happen, then break.
Part of the pursuit is making sure that you are keeping yourself in check – unrealistic expectations and irrelevant tasks are a recipes for disaster.
Annie Tsai 