WorldWide Drilling Resource

30 NOVEMBER 2016 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® The “Idiots” Corner by “Billy Bob Smith” As we quick- ly approach the end of another year and look forward to a new one, I thought it might be appropriate to discuss the topic of planning and how few managers, leaders, salespeople, and organizations in general spend any time in planning mode. Let me share two “real life” examples from my years of working with organi- zations in dozens of industries. I know they will be hard to believe, but each is true and, interestingly, both organizations are now out of business and have been for years. So I ask you to consider, when it comes to planning the future, are you an idiot, or do you approach it with wisdom? First - a few basics: 0 Plans don’t guarantee outcomes or results. 0 Plans need to be adjustable and sometimes even flexible. 0 If you don’t plan, there is no way to measure progress or the lack of it. 0 Planning is done in advance of any action, not while in the middle of it. The planning process involves: 0 The Why - Philosophy - Who you want to become, what your legacy is, how you are perceived by the market, etc. 0 The What - Strategy - What you need to do to achieve the why. 0 The How - Plans - Steps to take and time frames for them. 0 The Actions - Doing what you said you would do, the way you said you would do it. Okay, here are the two examples I promised: Number 1 - This was a $300 million a year company with international exposure and over 2000 employees. Planning as a business strategy was not in the organization’s DNA. They reacted, responded, and sometimes just waited. A new competitor was gradually stealing territory and clients. They just kept circling the wagons as revenue and profits continued to decline. The president called an emergency meeting of all the department heads and simply asked the group, “What are we going to do? If something doesn’t change quickly, we are going to go out of business after 40 years.” Everyone sitting around the table just looked at each other with blank stares as the president began to lose his temper. The meeting ended with no plan, no objectives, no strategy, and no specific actions each department head should take in the coming weeks. Number 2 - This organization was a market leader for many years in the con- struction industry. Every year they had a weeklong strategic planning event to discuss goals, objectives, strategies, and tactics for the coming year to achieve the organization’s mission. Here’s the problem - when they all left this meeting every department head, manager, and executive knew what he or she was supposed to do and how and when. The plan was in place - or should I say the plan was in concrete. So you say, “What’s wrong with this? They had a plan.” Well, the problem is the plan was based on current economic conditions and didn’t include the possibility things could go sour quickly - and they did. However, they stuck with their plan with integrity and consistency. Problem is, the plan in no way related to the reality which existed in the marketplace. The out- come - well you guessed it - the company was bankrupt before the end of the year. Let me ask you - do you know of an organization that has gone belly-up in the past 12 months? Why, do you think? How are your plans - working? Not working? Don’t have them? Don’t stick to them? Billy Bob michele@worldwidedrillingresource.com 2",/ # / 4%,/#03 $ ',+$ 5 ,4"$+1$/ ,,- -2*- *,#2 $0 /$ 3 ! $ %,/ !,1' /$0 #$+1 +# ",**$/" &/,2+# ,,- '$ 1 +& +# ",, +& 0601$*0 ,*- 1 ! $ 4 1' 1'$0$ -2*-0 ,4"$+1$/0 " + !$ ",+ % &2/$# 4 1' ,/ -2*- 2+ 10 1, * 1"' # % %$/$+1 , # /$.2 /$*$+10 /,#2"10 +" 2#$ ,4"$+1$/0 7 $,1'$/* ,0$# ,,- 11 +&0 7 $- "$*$+1 2*-0 7 ,0$ 10 +# ""$00,/ $0 7 / ! $ -$$# 2*-0 - -30 312-+$01 -1$ 2$0 '$, '$6 -1$ -5$0 2-0+ ,# 300 (" ,$ 1 $ $ 1-, ( 0$ 6- 0 "3 -+ 0$ 3 12 $01 0$ #6 ** "-,12 ,25 2$0 "-+ -,12 ,2 2$0 "2(4 2$1 32-+ 2(" **6 5(2' 2'$ *-11 -% .-5$0 2- .0-4(#$ & **-,1 -% .0$1130(7$# 5 2$0 2- $4$06 1'-5$0 2-(*$2 ,# 1(,) - $,$0 2-0 $/3(0$# $5 ,#31206 0-#3"2 (1"-3,21 4 (* !*$ %-0 #(120(!32-01 ,# (,12 **$01 “Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning ” ~Winston Churchill