Like this article? PLEASE +1 it! Evan Signature
Evan Carmichael Top Header about About Home Profiles articles Tools forums inspirational quotes About facebook Twitter YouTube Blog
Share for a Cause











Quality planning is essential for success

Guest post by: Merydith Willoughby

Article Overview: When leaders are busy, they tend to rush from one thing to the other. They think they are too busy to plan. What this does is exacerbate the problem; rather than helping them to be more productive, it increases stress, anxiety and does not equate to increased business performance.

Free Download - The importance of self esteem By Merydith Willoughby
Name: Email:

Quality planning is essential for success

You can never do enough ‘quality planning' in an organization says Merydith Willoughby, IB Coaching. So, why is it that so few leaders spend the time thinking and planning? Merydith says that it's not just a local problem - it's global and that those who are in key positions are finding it harder and harder to find time to do everything that is essential, let alone schedule time in for thinking and planning - it's a time thing.

When organizations put an emphasis on planning they can thrive because they know, at any given point, exactly where they are, their next step and most importantly, their future steps. Now, Merydith isn't saying that follow this rule and all will be ‘smooth sailing' because we know that would be foolish. However, what we do know is that leaders are busier than they have ever been, more is expected of them from directors, employees, key stakeholders, etc, etc, and that seems why making time for thinking and planning has been relegated to the back blocks. Everyone's just too busy to take time-out to do something that should be at the top of an organization's agenda.

Leaders are encouraged to take time to find out what's really going on in their organization, take the time to talk to their employees, CEO and other key people because when they've developed a relationship with them - when they know that the leader is genuine - they will open up to you. There's nothing more powerful that talking to those people who are driving the business to find out what's really happening at the grass roots level. You can't implement ‘good plans' unless you know the nitty, gritty within your four walls. And of course this takes time to do.

Merydith has worked with many leaders and organizations and they have come to realize through their work that planning, in the long term saves them significant time and stress. This occurs because they are not racing from one thing to another. They are focused and know what they are doing and why they are doing it. They stop letting peripheral issues dominate their day and they are clear with their people as to what needs to be done in order to achieve organizational goals.

When organizations don't pencil in that thinking, planning time to succeed, inevitably they may be planning to fail because they will be caught up in the frenetic pace of our global society.

A couple of tips for business to transcend this serious situation are: Take time to THINK, and PLAN, pencil in two hours a week just to ‘just do it' because this is when your creativity will be at its peak. You'll be amazed at how the creative ideas will start to flow, and be ready with a pencil and paper to write them down because they go just as fast as they came.

We pride ourselves Merydith says in assisting leaders to become powerful, we see time-and-time-again how this makes such a difference in the business and with employees. To be guided, supported and encouraged by someone who knows what they are doing - is something worth watching and being part of.

Related Articles
  Eight Essential Qualities of Passionate, Powerful and Proven Leaders, According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach
  The 5 Steps to Creating a Killer Strategic Marketing Plan for Your Business
  Efficiency - Getting More Done In Less Time
  How much Planning is enough - Use Lean and Standardize
  How to Make 2009 Your Best Year Ever
  Buy Efficient Resource Planning Software Must For Organizational Success
  The Toyota lesson, risk management and your business plan
  3 reasons why your business plan is not working for you and what to do about it
  How to Avoid Business Failure
  Make Money From Online Business - Plan to Succeed
  “The Top Ten Reasons Strategic Planning Meetings Fail, According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach”
  Succession Planning: Laying the Groundwork for Continued Success
  Why Outsourcing HR Makes Sense with Budgets Under Pressure
  Resolve to Follow the 5 Stages of Planning for a Prosperous 2010
  The Top Ten Essential Requirements To Be A Great Strategic Thinker, According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach
  Building a personal and business SUCCESS TEAM!
  Planning Vs Worrying
  PLANNING FOR SUCCESS – PART 1 – PURPOSE
  Negotiation- fundamentals!
  Entrepreneur's Success Center- The Business Plan

Home > Leadership > Merydith Willoughby > Quality planning is essential for success >
Article Tags: business performance, executive coach, leaders, performance quality, quality planning, stress anxiety
Referred by: http://www.imentor-pro.com

About the Author: Merydith Willoughby
RSS for Merydith's articles - Visit Merydith's website

The process that Merydith Willoughby uses in IB Coaching draws on her experience in senior leadership, academic review and personal transformation to illuminate the elements of success for leadership and personal insight. The work is energising, efficient and effective and quickly identifies opportunities to leverage skills and enhances tools to make changes which keeps the leader on track - extra capacity allows leaders to extend the reach of their influence and improves business outcomes.

Three books: If it's to be: It's up to me, Sex in the Boardroom, Back from Hell.




Click here to visit Merydith's website
Dashed Line

More from Merydith Willoughby
Keep your eye on the ball
You need one I need one we all need a break
Interviews or interrogations
Quality planning is essential for success
What does that word motivation mean


Related Forum Posts
Re: Is A Business Plan A Waste Of Time? Re: Is A Business Plan A Waste Of Time? - Business Plan or generally work plan (to do list) improves the quality of my work at least 4 times. I have seen the positive results of planning and focus in my online business. And I know from my past experience how uneficient your business can be when you are not doing planning. So I agree that there is a relationship between entrepreneur success and planning.
Re: Hello:) Re: Hello:) - Hi Rachel, A belated welcome to the forum from yours truly. It is always nice to see new members coming on board and thank you for telling us a little about yourself. You will find the resources here are invaluable to you if you are looking to make a success of an Internet business and your writing skills will be a great asset to you as article marketing is an essential part of the process. to your success, Mal.
Re: Franchiser Bankruptcies: 3 Tips on Being Prepared Re: Franchiser Bankruptcies: 3 Tips on Being Prepared - Diversification is essential to a successful portfolio. I think it is essential in all sectors and industries. Franchising is no different. Excellent points on preparation! All entrepreneurs should use these 3 guiding principles for every aspect of their business career.
Re: Is A Business Plan A Waste Of Time? Re: Is A Business Plan A Waste Of Time? - I feel that you don't really need one. I didn't write one down when I first started, but I have made various planning and decision-making spreadsheets along the way. I also think that a business plan is a HUGE waste of time IF you never take action. The step that most people fail on is failure to get started. Sitting around and planning won't ever get you anywhere. I would say implementation is more important than planning.
What Kind Of Internet Biz Do You Want To Have? What Kind Of Internet Biz Do You Want To Have? - Hello and welcome to the forum! The advice we give really depends on what you are planning to do as well as your level of experience... Are you planning to take orders for products that you will stock, pack and ship yourself? If so, signing up with Paypal would be a good start. Or are you planning an affiliate site, where you take a commission on sales you generate without having to handle the goods yourself? Or a mixture of both? Are you planning to design your website yourself? Are you working within a fixed budget? (The good news is that some of the best methods of marketing a website are quite cheap or even free - if you are prepared to do the work required!) Good luck! David H.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.



Featured Article

Bottom Footer



Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Name:
Email:
Popular Articles

Using Social Media Marketing

10 Steps to a Great Support Team

Executive Blind Spots

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.