Every Company Needs a Good Map

I think the reason it is easier to give advice to others rather than to ourselves is that we are too involved in the problem. We may even be the problem.

I have had several discussions lately with entrepreneurs about their business ideas. I have been helping some by helping them to write a business plan. The trouble is that there is confusion about writing something and creating a specific set of steps to be followed (often called a plan). Just because we write down what we want, it does not mean we have any guidelines to follow that will get us there.

When people tell me that they will sell 100 widgets in the first month, I usually ask how. More often than not, the response is that it will be easy; "Everyone I know wants one." Unfortunately that is not a plan, it's a wish. Which for me always causes a Pavlovian response and I hear the 8 w's in my head; "Work Will Win, When Wishy Washy Wishing Won't."

If we all had fairy-godmothers maybe life would be different, but we don't. There is often only one person you can turn to who will be able to help you. That person is you. You can only help yourself by facing problems with truth and honesty. Break them down into parts you can address and determine the best course of action. A strategy is only as good as the tactics that are used to accomplish it.

What tools do you use to break problems into smaller pieces?

How do you avoid wishful thinking while planning?