Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2710/Simple-Effective-Planning.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2710/Simple-Effective-Planning.html Business plans... you either love them or hate them. If you love your planning process it is because the process and investment produces results all year long. It keeps you and your team focused, it’s the basis for all significant decisions and everyone knows not only the master plan, but also their piece of it. If your past planning efforts have left you and your team frustrated, you are not alone, it happens far too frequently. The annual planning process does not have to be complicated and time-consuming. Here are some thoughts on how to make planning simple and effective in your company: http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2710/Business-Plans-Dont-Last-Forever.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2710/Business-Plans-Dont-Last-Forever.html Business plans... you either love them or hate them. They are a beautiful thing when they create a unified focus and alignment across your company... And empower your team to go out and do what they must do to produce results. But fast-growing companies outgrow their business plans. Often, it is just a matter of time, because business plans don’t last forever! It’s highly likely you have outgrown your business plan when: http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2710/The-Discipline-of-Profitability.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2710/The-Discipline-of-Profitability.html Profitability is no accident! In fact, profitability starts with a mindset. It also requires written plans, budgets, and talented management and employee teams to execute the plan. Without the mindset and the determination to be profitable, most companies will not achieve maximum profitability. I refer to this mindset and the action it inspires, the discipline of profitability. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2710/21st-Century-Leadership-and-The-One-Page-Business-Plan.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2710/21st-Century-Leadership-and-The-One-Page-Business-Plan.html We believe one of the major oversights in business in the last 30 years is the failure of management to ask the average manager, professional and/or employee to WRITE a plan for their job, department, project, program, and/or their function. Sr. executives have always been required to write "strategic plans" albeit they have not always done an excellent job, they were required to write a plan. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2710/The-Power-of-No.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2710/The-Power-of-No.html No is a very powerful word! In fact, most of us don’t say it frequently enough, and/or with enough conviction. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2710/Zen-and-the-Art-of-The-One-Page-Business-Plan.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2710/Zen-and-the-Art-of-The-One-Page-Business-Plan.html Planning is a dialog. It starts deep within you. When it’s appropriate... you will begin the process of exposing the dialog to your external world. The initial form may be written notes, informal discussions with people you trust. When it’s appropriate, you will expand the dialog to your community. The dialog will grow stronger... or die. Remember when your mother told you to mind your business... maybe she was right. Your life... is your business. Two questions: - Who are you? - Who will you serve? Planning your business... is planning your life. The process of thinking before doing... is planning. Everyone has plans... every day! Sometimes the plans are important enough to put in writing. The successful have concise, clear plans and take action on them... and they may be in writing. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2710/Lessons-Learned-about-Planning.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2710/Lessons-Learned-about-Planning.html Lessons learned about planning. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2710/Role-of-Leadership-in-Planning.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2710/Role-of-Leadership-in-Planning.html Executives love to talk about planning… most complain their processes don’t work very well. Harvard Business Review reports that only 11% of CEOs believe that strategic planning is worth the effort. Most planning processes are too complex, and only document decisions already made. CEOs have the responsibility to make their planning processes effective; I believe the key is to keep the processes simple and focused. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2710/Who-Does-the-Best-Thinking-in-Your-Company.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2710/Who-Does-the-Best-Thinking-in-Your-Company.html If you believe you are the best strategic thinker in your organization, then you have a problem. If you tell your people what and where the opportunities are and then nudge, encourage, insist or demand they pursue them, then who owns the idea? You do. When you tell your people how and where to sell, you rob them of the opportunity to think for themselves.