Strategic, by definition, is big picture thinking. It is large-scale and long-range in nature, but it must be lived out in the tactical here and now. A great example of strategic planning and tactical living was Noah and the building of the ark. It’s the epitome of long-range planning as it took one hundred and twenty years to complete the project and it would impact the future course of recorded history. It definitely qualifies as large-scale, due to the dimensions of the boat and the number and variety of its occupants.
The account of Noah receiving instructions from God for building the ark serves as an extraordinary model for strategic planning.
Strategy 1 – Evaluate the Situation. “so God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt..” (Genesis 6:12)
- Research the situation-Before proceeding in any endeavor, do your homework! Check things out for yourself. When I was young and had more desire than brains. I sent a man I barely knew to check out a business opportunity. Based on the strength of his report, I committed myself to a business which I knew little about. It turned out that the information he provided was deliberately falsified by him to prove himself an opportunity. It took me time for me to financially recover.
- How thoroughly have you investigated the problem or opportunity you wish to address?-Don’t rely just on one source. One credible source is still only one view. It’s better to have your information confirmed through multiple sources than to put all your eggs in one basket, only to find out the basket has a broken handle.
- Make sure the information you based your decision on is accurate-If you are unsure that your information is accurate, make generous allowances for error or don’t proceed at all. I was asked to do.
Strategy 2 – Make a Decision. “Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (Genesis 6:13)
- You will never have all the facts-it has been said, “In every person’s lifetime there comes an opportunity to do a very special thing, unique to that person and fitted to his or her talent. What a tragedy if that moment finds the person unprepared and unqualified for that work.” You should prepare yourself for opportunity; analyze the facts as you can accept the reality that you will never have all the information. Sometimes you have to act with less information than you would like. It’s hard to know when you have sufficient facts, so get the counsel of others and search the scripture for any indicators of direction, then make the best decision you can.
- Don’t be snared by the “paralysis of analysis”-In the mid-seventies some had an idea for a real estate magazine, which he thought was a superb concept. I analyzed and eventually did nothing. A few years later, the concept surfaced in his city and ultimately in cities across his country. His paralysis of analysis cost him an opportunity. He discovered that “in the valley of indecision lay the skeletal remains of many a worthy plan.” The bottom line to make a decision is this: don’t rush and don’t delay.
Strategy 3 – Summarize the Vision. “Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.” (Genesis 6:14).
- Before God gave Noah the specifics. He gave him an overview. Do you have an overview of where you are trying to go with your life? Moses had a simple overview of his purpose: to “set my people free,” Nehemiah had a simple understanding of his primary goal: to “rebuild the wall.” Jesus gave an overview of His purpose: to “seek and to save that which was lost.” What’s the overview of your purpose?
- Is your vision clearly defined? If you can’t outline your vision in 25 words or less, you probably don’t understand it. Take time to think through your vision, whether it be your life vision or your vision for specific project, then try summarizing it on the back of a business card. If you can’t do that, it’s probably not clear enough.
- Can others read it and run with it? Ask those who have a stake in your vision if they know what the vision is. See how many people give you the same answer. If you get different answers, you know you’re not communicating clearly and it may be because you haven’t got it clear in your own mind.
Strategy 4 – Establish the Boundaries “the length of the ark shall be 450 feet, its width, 75 feet, and its height 45 feet” (Genesis 6:15)
- Formulate a plan and put it in writing. A goal without a plan is only a dream. When I was new to the selling business, I realized that in order to reach my goals, I would have to accomplish a certain amount of activity. And to accomplish that activity, I was going to have to plan and act differently than I had in the past, I created a simple flowchart of required activity and monitored my progress, knowing that if I had the right things well, I would have the desired result. A simple plan, but it yielded extraordinary results.
- Stay within the sphere of your calling. Not everyone is called to the same position in life, though we are all called to accept the challenge of greatness. Greatness is measured by our service to others. Find a way to out serve your competition and you will be exalted in the market place. Let God give you the promotion, not yourself, lest you find yourself promoted to a position of incompetence. When you step into realm God hasn’t equipped you for, disaster is just around the corner. Sometimes we don’t know the boundaries of our calling until we step outside and find ourselves fighting for survival with no backup in sight. God is gracious and patient and will lead us back to the sphere of our calling.
- Don’t mistake comfort zone for calling. You may be comfortable in your world right now, but that doesn’t mean you are called to remain there. Don’t mistake the lack struggle for the leading of God. In fact, if you’re not experiencing opposition, there’s a good chance you’re headed in the wrong direction! You may be in the center of the sphere of your calling, while simultaneously being in the fight of your life. Without doubt, the Apostle Paul endured much hardship and many trials while functioning within his sphere of calling.
Strategy 5 – Define your Strategy. “make a window for the ark…set the door of the ark in its side…make it with lower, second and third decks” (Genesis 6:16)
- Make your plan a series of steps, which taken individually are manageable. Break your plan into bite-size pieces. Many goals or projects seem overwhelming at the beginning. Break them down into their individual components, then break the components down into individual steps that you can see yourself accomplishing.
- Prioritize the steps. Stand back and look at the big picture. Ask God to help you prioritize then list the steps in the order you will need to accomplish them. Without prioritization, you may find yourself having to redo one or more steps as the project unfolds.
- Identify and implement daily success habits. Ask yourself “What one thing can I do on a daily basis that would make a tremendous difference in the achievement of my goals?” Think of a few more and begin implementing them. They may be simple things, like proper diet and exercise, or more specific to your sales career like a disciplined regimen of prospecting, practicing your questioning techniques, or choosing to keep better records. Pick anything you want, but always remember to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).
Strategy 6 – Envision the Reward. “I will establish my convent with you.” (Genesis 6:18)
- Look to the reward. Any dream worth embarking on and any goal worth pursuing will exact a toll from you. In the challenging times, when you question your own sanity for ever setting out on the path you chose, it helps to remind yourself of the reward of accomplishment. Moses rejected the life of privilege under Pharaoh and chose to suffer affliction with the people of God, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt because he looked to the reward (Hebrews 11:24-26).
- Endure hardship. Just as Jesus endured unspeakable horrors at the hands of those whom He sought to save. He endured it all for the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). Don’t lose sight of reward and don’t feel guilty about wanting the reward. Consider young David before he became king. He inquired three times concerning the reward for killing Goliath before going to battle against him. He was told each time that the reward was great riches, the king’s daughter in marriage and permanent tax-exempt status for him and his family. This does not mean that these were the only things that motivated David, but they clearly held a keen interest for him, and after killing Goliath, he collected on all three promises’
Strategy 7 – Define your Primary Responsibility. “Go into the ark; you, your sons, your wife and your sons’ wives with you. And…two of every sort…to keep them alive with you.” (Genesis 6:18-19).
- Don’t lose sight of your original goal. When you’re up to your neck in alligators, it’s hard to you were there t drain the swamp. In the heat of the battle, you lose sight of the original purpose or goal. Understanding that it is can happen and be on the lookout for it.
- Watch out for rabbit trails. This is especially true for visionaries. They rarely see an idea they don’t like and it’s easy for them to get distracted. Keep your primary focus. Focus on the task at hand and don’t look back.
- Avoid worthy looking but not God originated tasks. Everyone is offered business deals, many of which seem good, honorable and worthy enterprise, but if they are not part of your life’s calling and destiny, don’t waste your time. Get rich quick schemes are plentiful, but we must recognize that though our efforts should pay well, money should not be our deciding factor. Diversions will come, so you must do your best to be in the right place at the right at time right time, and then you will be ready for a God-originated opportunity.
Strategy 8 – Count the Cost. “take for yourself of all food that is eaten.. for you and for them” (Genesis 6:21)
- Determine your investment ahead of time. If you want to succeed in sales, you’re going to need to invest time, effort and money in the acquisition and refining of your skills and in doing the things most people won’t do that are necessary for success. If you don’t count the cost ahead of time, you may be surprised at what is required to succeed and you may turn back. Noah had to calculate the quantity of food necessary for him and all the animals represented on the ark. It was a big and necessary project, for without counting the cost ahead of time, he could have found himself on a ship with a bunch of starving animals.
- Be prepared to take responsibility for the consequences of your plan being executed. You do your best to count the cost and prepare for the unexpected, but in the end you will be held accountable for your choices. If you attempted more than you are able to achieve, you will only attempt great things. You will find that those who have attempted great things will not be quick to criticize you. Instead, they will come alongside and instruct you from their experience. Accept their seasoned insight.
Strategy 9 – Begin the Work. “Noah did according to all that God commanded him” (Genesis 6:22)
- Break the inertia! No matter how good the plan and no matter how substantial your network of contacts, there will be no result unless you get started. In sales, doing the presentation and writing proposals can be a lot of fun, but getting the ball rolling with prospecting can be a very different thing. Most sales managers agree that the biggest challenge they have with their sales reps is breaking their call reluctance. Once a prospect has expressed interest, the flow of the call is much easier. To make breaking the inertia easier, set aside a block of time when you will launch out, then commit yourself to that time frame and step out. Most people only talk of their great ideas. You can’t steer a parked car, so get out on the road and start driving. And always ask God for wisdom.
- Get started. The research was interesting; the planning was fun, now it’s time to get to work. The most difficult thing for me to do in sales was to cold call, so I would set entire days aside to do nothing but that. After a while, my discomfort with the process and my reluctance to make the next call evaporated. I began to enjoy it. If I had to make twenty cold calls to secure one sale and earn a $500 commission, I would tell myself that each “No” I receive actually earned me $25. That put a little pep in my step because I knew there was a direct relationship between activity level and actual results. Soon, I was welcoming the opportunity to cold prospect, but before long, my pipeline filled up and I was spending more time serving customers. My base of customers provides me the leads for new customers and the need for cold prospecting diminished.
- When Paul had a vision of Macedonia, he went there immediately. By getting started now, the difficult tasks become amazing doable. We cannot “monetize” our problems someone said. We must cut the excuses, face our fears and slay the monsters in our way.
Strategy 10 – Adjust to Unfolding Details. “take with you seven each of every clean animals, a male and his friend; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female: (Genesis 7:2-3)
- Your circumstances will change. Noah was originally told to bring only two of every animal onto the ark, but then God told him to bring seven of certain species. Apparently it wasn’t a problem but it was a change. In sales, things are always changing. One day it’s a price increase or a new product launch, the next day it’s an aggressive new competitor or your territory has been cut. The game is always changing, but the fundamental principles never change. Dr David Oyedepo said “principles don’t change but priorities may change.” Learn to roll with the changes and adapt quickly. If you don’t, you might find yourself replaced by someone who didn’t know what the old price was or never had a larger territory. Learn to adjust.
- You will never know everything. It is impossible to know the end from the beginning when you start. If you did know, you probably wouldn’t start!
- You can expect the unexpected. Instead of responding to the unexpected with dread, look for the possibilities it represent. You can’t prepare for eventuality, but you can prepare your attitude to handle whatever comes your way. Starts now by determine that you will find the opportunity in every adversity. You win either way. Knowing that the unexpected will come and being prepared emotionally for the challenge will better equip you to complete the task.
Strategy 11 – Execute Faithfully. “Noah did according to all the Lord commanded him” (Genesis 7:5)
- Quitters are forgotten. We remember the name of the first man to climb Mt. Everest (Sir Edmund Hillary), not the name of the first man to attempt it. Nehemiah was remembered not because he got financing to rebuild the wall or because of his lofty position as cupbearer to the king. Instead, he was remembered because he oversaw the building and completion of the wall around Jerusalem. If the wall hadn’t been finished the entire project would have counted for nothing.
- Commitment is required. We must be committed to finishing what we start. Jesus said,” No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom” (Luke 9:62). Resist the temptation to quit half way through. It’s one thing to aim for a goal and miss it. It’s quite another to start out towards a goal and then turn back.
Strategy 12 – Share the Reward with Others. “God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth” (Genesis 9:1)
- Never forget the source. It is God who gives the power to obtain wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18) He provides the talent and the opportunity. It’s our job to use the talent He has given us on the opportunity (which may be disguised as a problem) He has put before us and to trust Him for the outcome. His purpose in helping us obtain wealth is to establish His covenant on earth. I don’t pretend to understand all the ramifications of that, but one thing is clear it does include feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, helping widows and orphans, and spreading His gospel to the entire world. Think of God as an investment banker and ask yourself what it is about your plan that benefits His agenda? Why should He get excited about your project? What’s in it for him?
QUOTE FOR TODAY
“If you want to be successful, it’s just this simple: know what you are doing, love what you are doing, and believe in what you are doing.” - Will Rogers
No comments:
Post a Comment