Why Strategic Planning Can Be a Waste of Time

We all have different approaches to our business plans, budgets, forecasts and trend settings. The problems start usually when we overemphasize on the planning and not on the actions needed to implement change and success. Sometimes it is because our personality is one that tends to enjoy the planning processes more and we can become stagnate or suffer from "analysis paralysis" so to speak. It is comforting to look at it all on paper, the future as we see it, the false control we think we have while everything is still in the planning stage. It is harder to actually take the next leap or have the confidence to stand by what we have idealized.

Some organizations are handicapped by setting up departments, committees, meeting requirements, etc. that lend itself to be in constant "in the future" mode. The term "teaching moment" or "future reference" is constantly on our tongues; but we lose the now experience because we are always perfecting a new plan. The problem is there are no guarantees or crystal balls that can tell us what is in store for us 1 or 5 or 10 years down the road. Whenever any organization leans too heavily on what we have guessed in our finite knowledge will happen and then reality does not match it; we work very hard on making it look like we really did know what was coming.

In today's business world you have to be able to think on your feet and move swiftly with change because technology is always changing and trends will also change right before your eyes. It is never a good business practice to become so caught up in the details of what you had "planned" would happen and what reality has truly dictated. I have seen many companies lose out on success because of some ego based decisions that were made back in a strategic planning session and not updated after changes took place. One realm that is constantly changing is computers and software and if you don't change with the times; you will definitely be left behind.

It is always a good idea to strategize and have a rough draft of how you will handle upcoming events and have good solutions planned for future problems that can occur. But if you are in any organization that is constantly in the planning mode and does not look at what action is required or has a rose colored glasses glow about their planning; it is best to push forward and see what time will really bring forth to your business and the actions required.