You Don’t Need a Step-by-Step Plan for Your Business

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compassThe great thing about a step-by-step plan is that it probably worked for someone at one point so they wrote it down to share with you. As a coach, people come to me for a step-by-step plan to get their business running better. Many people are looking for a road map to follow in order to become successful.

But you don’t need a map…you need a compass.

Derek spoke recently on the importance of thinking for yourself, but received a lot of backlash on it.

Your Map is No Good

The great thing about a map is that you can follow it; but I guarantee your plans won’t work like you plan for them to work. Something will happen along the way and derail you. Then what? Your map is no good.

What you need is a clearly defined destination and a compass. Where do you want to be in five years? Yes, it’s very likely that will change, but without a destination you don’t know which direction to go. You’ll end up wandering and your business will fail.

Think for Yourself

Road maps are OK, but you need to start thinking for yourself.  No one else is just like you so do what feels natural. Read biographies of people you admire.  Listen to stories of people making it happen.  Read books other than how-to’s.

What do you think is more helpful, a road map or a compass?

Update: David Garland got me thinking about this and was the inspiration for this post.  You can read his thoughts at The Rise to the Top.

Update 2: David Garland interviewed me and we talked about this issue at the end of the show.

(photo by psd)

Posted on May 27, 2010

  • David Siteman Garland

    One word: Exactly

  • http://jerryedmonds.podbean.com Jerry

    A person needs to know only two things to take any journey: where you are going & where you are starting from. If you know those two things, and have a good compass to show you how to get from here to there, you'll be OK. It may be true that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line but who ever travels in a straight line? Besides, it is often the side trips and distractions that are the most memorable-and the greatest learning experiences. You have time. Enjoy it & learn from it! As Dory said “just keep swimming, just keep swimming…”

  • http://www.pcstraining.net Susan Snyder

    Maps? I don't need no stinking maps!

  • MultiplyLeaders

    You ABSOLUTELY need a map!

    I agree mostly with the blog and the comments, but I think we do need maps.
    1. Why should ANY of us foolishly avoid the learning of the leaders who have gone before us, the leaders who have annotated on the “maps” they've made along the way. There's a lot of wisdom on those maps. It might warn us of a cliff or other danger in our path.

    2. If you get off course and want to find your way back, you need a map.

    3. Leaders chart the course — Columbus drew his own map. Worked well for him.

    4. If you don't have a map, I don't think you can accurately choose your destination. I WHOLE-HEARTEDLY agree that choosing a destination (vision) is probably the ESSENTIAL leadership skill.

    I have written numerous times about how important of a tool a map is.

    Summary: MapQuest or Google Maps = Directions = NO
    Map = YES!

  • http://www.leadershipequip.com/ Brent Green

    Great post Justin! Very practical…very useful. Thanks!

  • http://www.currentfinances.com Don Current

    I think this is a great refinement to the post. You're right. There's a difference between a printout from Google Maps and a traditional map. If you've got a Google Map and something goes awry, you're kind of stuck. On a traditional map, there are many different routes from where you are to the final destination. If you've got the map, and a compass in hand and there's a detour, or some construction, or maybe even another interesting waypoint that comes up, all you have to do is consult your map and your compass, and you can find an alternate route to get you there.

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    I'm pretty sure you're the first person on my blog to quote Dory, Jerry. I think it's the side trips that are the most fun and you learn the most from.

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    Right on Mark. This is a great refinement. And learning from others is key. I love reading books about other people's stories. I just finished Tony Hsieh's “Delivering Happiness” (due out in a few weeks). I learned a lot from his story but he doesn't lay out a step-by-step plan as to how to do it. It's up to each person to do that for themesleves.

  • dallonchristensen

    Seth Godin wrote a very recent blog post about how the traditional business plan is irrelevant (http://bit.ly/d4A3rb). The best part about Seth's proposed plan was the “alternatives” section. My next blog post will be on this topic, but nearly every business plan I've seen (and, in the past, have written) deal with a single “most likely scenario. We all know that scenario won't happen, so the key point is to anticipate different scenarios and develop a broad plan to deal with those scenarios. For those of you who have not read Peter Schwartz's classic scenario planning book “The Art of the Long View”, read it. It will change how you plan your business.

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  • http://www.kevingainey.com Kevin Gainey

    Regardless of if you use the term map or compass as a metaphor for building a life or business, I think everyone can look back and see that the majority of the time things didn't go as plan and they had to improvise.

    I like to go geocaching and the two things I know are where the geocache is and where I am. Depending on the terrain, I generally wander in the direction the compass points. If the terrain gets rough or I come to a creek or impassable point, I consult the map on my GPS. I may not be going in the right compass direction for a couple of minutes, but I'm getting back on track with every step. So, depending on the “terrain” in your life or business, you'll know whether to trust just a compass (your goal) or a map (plans, others' experience, etc.).

    Thanks for the post Justin and everyone for great comments!

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    I didn't know you like to geocache. You need to take me out and show me the ropes.

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    I haven't heard of “The Art of the Long View” but it sounds very helpful. It's on my reading list now.

  • http://www.currentfinances.com Don Current

    So many great books, so little time! Dallon and Justin (and anyone else) – how many books do you average per month?

  • http://www.currentfinances.com Don Current

    I just noticed “Delivering Happiness” showed up in my recommended reading list on Amazon. Guess I'm buying and Wish List'ing the right things, eh? :-)

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    I average about 4 books per month. My goal this year is a book per week.

  • KeithRParsons

    I started out with the 50 books a year goal over 20 years ago. Now I'm up to 75/year and loving it. (but I do have a lot of travel time and that helps)

    I try to keep the ratio of Fiction to Non-Fiction 3:1.

    Keith

  • MultiplyLeaders

    My goals are measured in chapters/day. I try to read one chapter a day from each of two sources: one book that will help me grow as a leader and one book that will help me grow professionally. For example, right now I am reading John Maxwell's “Everybody Communicates, Few Connect” (leadership/communication = better husband, dad, leader and professional) each day of the week. Three days of the week I am reading Million Dollar Consulting by Weiss (professional development/biz development), and three days of the week I read from aviation/aerospace/test pilot/statistician technical sources, books, journals, etc.

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    I miss my traveling only for that reason Keith.

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    Wow, I'm impressed that you have it broken down so much Mark. I think the point here is that we all do it differently. Find a regiment you like, set a goal, and get after it.

  • KeithRParsons

    I started out with the 50 books a year goal over 20 years ago. Now I'm up to 75/year and loving it. (but I do have a lot of travel time and that helps)

    I try to keep the ratio of Fiction to Non-Fiction 3:1.

    Keith

  • MultiplyLeaders

    My goals are measured in chapters/day. I try to read one chapter a day from each of two sources: one book that will help me grow as a leader and one book that will help me grow professionally. For example, right now I am reading John Maxwell's “Everybody Communicates, Few Connect” (leadership/communication = better husband, dad, leader and professional) each day of the week. Three days of the week I am reading Million Dollar Consulting by Weiss (professional development/biz development), and three days of the week I read from aviation/aerospace/test pilot/statistician technical sources, books, journals, etc.

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    I miss my traveling only for that reason Keith.

  • http://coachradio.tv/ Justin Lukasavige

    Wow, I'm impressed that you have it broken down so much Mark. I think the point here is that we all do it differently. Find a regiment you like, set a goal, and get after it.

  • http://twitter.com/jameswoosley JamesWoosley

    Justin, I promised a response…here goes: http://www.woosleycoaching.com/2010/06/02/bluf-…

    It's important to have both a compass and a map…and if all you have is a compass, don't forget to make your own roadmap!

    Great discussion as always!

    James

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