Planning IS important – no doubt about it. As the famous adage goes: Failing to plan is like planning to fail. All that said, getting stuck at the planning stage has meant the death knell for many.
It’s called Analysis Paralysis. Being a perfectionist, I believe, may bring this element to the fore, causing delays in launching anything until it’s perfect, trying to control the uncontrollable, over-reaching or over-managing things that may not be under our control.
At some point one has to stop planning and start doing. Doing is where the rubber meets the road. All else is a pipe dream. At some point one has to take the lead and have the courage to implement and execute, or the magic may die if planning takes over.
Speaking from personal experience, I set up several successful entities because the opportunity presented itself where there was no time to construct a business plan and go through the motions so to speak. They were now or never opportunities. I went for now, and succeeded. These may have been a flash in the pan or a chance that went off well – but, since I did the same thing several times over, I now know from experience, it can work. It may be better doing the due diligence and creating business plans etc. etc. but sometimes you have to grab the opportunity by the neck and squeeze it for all its worth.
Given the luxury of time, which most of us do not have in our already busy lives, planning may be the way forward, but, keeping an open mind, utilizing AI tools to project, ascertain, create summary business plans etc. is easier than one can imagine. In this day and age, we cannot put critical things off because we want to go through the motions created by our forefathers.
Things are changing at breakneck speed. Can we really afford to wait a few months until everything we think we need to do to secure ourselves, is in place? Maybe utilize AI to fast track these initial steps, but still………
What we are looking at is the basics. If the basics are in place and there are extenuating circumstances leading you towards the opportunity, for instance you have the inside track, are privy to useful information, or there’s a specific requirement that you are aware you can convert etc., then why not? Why forgo this opportunity because we have to consult, structure, cross check, create, look into, work out etc. etc.
There are far too many proponents of “The way things are meant to be done”, and, I am not going against the grain and dismissing them. All I am saying is that there are times when you simply have to fly by the seat of your pants and make the move rather than lose the opportunity.
Opportunity knocks, but once. Don’t leave it hanging at the door while you work out the potential possibilities via graphs and charts.
I say, take the plunge and learn to swim along the way.
You already know the basics, now do the butterfly stroke.
OPINION PIECE: Uzair Hassan CEO 3H Solutions Group
