One would not expect an athlete to show up for a big game or event who was not in shape or prepared yet how often do we see this happen in business?  Perhaps someone has suddenly resigned or a new leadership role has been created and we expect whoever assumes this role to "run with it" and somehow succeed right away.  It's as if the message was "Ready, Lead!" with no chance to get set or "Lead, Lead Lead!" with no opportunity to first get ready.

Does your business have a strategy that doesn’t seem to be working and producing the desired results?  There are many reasons this can happen and here are a few we have encountered

Many executives and business leaders today say they want a strategic plan to ensure that everyone is “on the same page.” In other words, they want to be sure that their boards, executives, and staff clearly understand the organization’s purpose, direction and goals. This may sound good but what if you do get everyone on the same page only to realize later that the group is using the wrong playbook or perhaps singing the wrong tune?

Everyone seems busier these days. Some boast about it and some complain but it's getting harder to find a person who isn't attached to a pager or a cell phone or busy checking their voice mail or e-mail or "away from my desk right now..." in some meeting. One wonders when the frenetic pace will ease or if being busy -- as an individual or a business -- is now the minimum standard for just keeping up if not getting ahead.