the business planning paradox

paradoxgreg fisher

the business planning

paradox

“Life is aparadox, you're

damned if you doand damned if

you don't”Bart Simpson

paradox - n. seemingly absurd though perhapsactually well-founded statement; self-contradictoryor essentially absurd statement; person or thingconflicting with preconceived notions of what is

reasonable or possible

definitionoxford english dictionary

“The more turbulent the times,the more complex the world,the more paradoxes thereare. We can and should,

reduce the starkness of someof the contradictions,

minimize the inconsistencies,understand the puzzles in the

paradoxes, but we cannotmake them disappear, orsolve them completely, or

escape from them.Paradox has to be accepted,

coped with, and madesense of…”

Charles HandyThe Age of Paradox

thriving in paradox

recognize reflect respond

business planningparadoxes

9

To focus on along term visionbut at the same

time decidewhat needs to

be donetomorrow

paradox #1

To use hard data to make decisions but atthe same time follow your intuition

paradox #2

To involve a largenumber of people

in the planningprocess so as to

incorporate diverseperspectives but atthe same time to

keep the planningteam focused and

decisive

paradox #3

To be optimistic in your projections for thebusiness while maintaining a sense of

realism

paradox #4

To set specificgoals for the

business whilebeing flexible and

adaptable tochanges in the

businessenvironment

paradox #5

To focus on a niche while creating aproduct or service for a large growth

market

paradox #6

To leverage yourcore competencewhile fostering

and creating newskills, knowledge

and abilities

paradox #7

To ride the wave of current market trendswhile looking to spark a new movement

paradox #8

To pay closeattention to

research datawhile also

learning throughexperimentationand prototyping

paradox #9

Long term Tomorrow

Hard data Intuition

Diverse perspectives Focused decisive team

Optimistic Realistic

Specific goals Flexible and adaptable

Niche Large growth market

Core competence New learning

Leverage current trends Spark new movement

Research data Experimentation

Business Planning Paradoxes

“The way of paradoxes is theway of truth. To test Realitywe must see it on the tight-

rope. When the Veritiesbecome acrobats we can

judge them.”Oscar Wilde

“Any intelligent fool can makethings bigger, more complexand more violent. It take atouch of genius and a lot of

courage to move in theopposite direction.”

Albert Einstein

paradoxthe business planning

paradox

by greg fisher

http://www.fisherg.blogspot.com/