There is a story of a young warrior who rode his horse ready for battle. Along the way, an old man stopped him and asked where he was going.
The young man said he was on the way to fight for his country, and he would win because he had a brave heart, a strong hand and a fast horse.
The old man quietly said he would not win even though he had the courage and will, the strength and skill, and the horse and sword, because the war was in the North while he was heading South.
We lose when we are not prepared properly for battle.
However, we also lose if we have worked hard to prepare ourselves, but miss the battle and lose the war because we are headed in the wrong direction and getting to the wrong place.
The key lies in a good process for anticipating the future.
One way to do it is by scenario-based planning. But this could be too complex and involved for many organisations.
A more straightforward approach is described by Jack Welch, who was Chairman and CEO of General Electric from 1981 to 2001, in the book WINNING which he co-wrote with Suzy Welch. His approach was to seek answers to (just) five questions:
- What does the playing field look like now?
- What has the competition been up to?
- What have you been up to?
- What is around the corner?
- What is your winning move?
These questions offer deep insight if answered thoughtfully with a view to conscientious action.
Try answering these five questions today to see if your organisation is headed in the right direction for tomorrow!