Are you preparing for the unexpected? In business and life, nothing ever goes exactly as planned, but that’s why planning is essential. Preparing for the unexpected requires successful mission planning. We use the following 6 steps do so:
1. Determine the Mission Objective
A mission objective is not your High Definition Destination; it’s something that you can go out and execute today. A good mission objective is clear, measurable, achievable, but most importantly, it must support the overall HDD of the organization.
2. Identify the Threats
To survive the chaotic environment we are experiencing today, you have to identify and know what threats stand in your way, both internally and externally.
3. Identify Your Available Resources
Your available resources could be people, money, systems, technologies, products, clients, time, known strengths, services, or skills of the team that will help you negate your threats and accomplish your mission objective. Take time to honestly assess what resources you have at hand to mitigate threats you may encounter during your mission.
4. Evaluate the Lessons Learned
Tap into the experiences of your team and apply those lessons that fit the mission. Lessons learned can be big or little, your experience, the group’s experience, or an experience from another company.
5. Determine Courses of Action/Tactics
Develop a menu of potential courses of action through the use of open planning to analyze and finalize a plan. Place accountability around the courses of action. Who will do what, and by when. Once you’ve assigned the roles and responsibilities, request a Red Team to find weaknesses within the plan.
6. Plan for Contingencies
Preparation is the key to flexibility. Ask “what if” questions to brainstorm solutions for threats that could throw your mission off course. Creating plans of action for when an obstacle occurs is best done during the planning process so that you don’t encounter a situation ill-prepared during execution.
These six steps will help you as you’re preparing to navigate the changing conditions of business environments in the coming months. If you aren’t sure where to start, reach out to us. We can work directly with you and your team to rapidly set goals, manage the chaos, and generate lasting success using our battle-tested processes.
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