by Dwayne Phillips
In addition to the planner’s basics, talk directly to the right people in a frank manner.
Years ago, I worked with a company VP who had success on the vast majority of his projects. His “secret” was:
- Plan your work (in detail)
- Work your plan (track progress in detail)
Okay, big deal. I had heard this clever little phrase first in 1980 (yes, I am that old).
This successful VP, however, had one more step:
- Talk directly to the right people in a frank manner.
Hmm. There are several parts of this extra step:
- Talk – face to face with words
- Directly – not around the corner by triangulating rumors with people
- Right – you have to know who the right person is which means you have to know what is happening
- People – not talking to the wall or to the PowerPoint or to the…
- Frank – candid, honest, open, no riddles, no hints
There is much to this extra step. This VP did all those things, and he succeeded. Funny, all those right people with whom he spoke directly in a frank manner also succeeded.
Also, this step acknowledges that accomplishing work comprises far more than plans on the wall. People perform the work. No people – no work. People have more to do in their lives than follow my silly little plan that is stuck to the wall. I have to work in those boundaries.
Why don’t we all do this all the time? Perhaps we don’t want to know the answer to that.
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