Here’s how to use intentional planning to assure your plan will work. I’m always looking for tips in motivating others (and myself). I found a great article from my personal trainer. It says that ‘intentional planning’ is the biggest component to obtain your goals.
What is ‘Intentional Planning’?
It’s making a behavioral-based action plan–which answers the questions what are you going to do? When are you going to do it? and How are you going to go about it?
The Science Behind this Component
A study in Advances in Experimental Social Psychology conducted with 8000 participants found that intentional planning was the key factor in a successful habit change. This approach increased the chance of successful change by 50-80%!
The ‘Secret’ to Change
We regularly declare our intentions. But, we rarely get specific about them. When we’re not specific, we don’t have a road map to chart that change. We don’t know the actions to take. In order to change our intentions from ‘general’ and ‘philosophical’ to action-based, we need to answer these questions:
What
When
How–what shall we practice? How shall we do it?
The Reason Most Business Plans Fail
As a manager and trainer, I’ve seen all sorts of business plans. I’ve seen all sorts of business planning templates. Unfortunately, many plans stay in the ‘what’–the philosophical statements or just the numbers. Inferior templates encourage this flawed thought process. So, people blithely create these business plans, set them on the shelf, and continue doing exactly what they have been doing!!! So, they get the same results.
My Business Planning System ‘Forces’ This Thought Process
Having used those flawed plans and having seen my agents and other managers fail with them, I built into my business planning system and templates the when and how. So, My system actually forces the user to think through the whole process–to get to the weekly/daily action plans that will help change their business habits for the better.
How Specific is YOUR Plan?
The acid test: Could I take your business plan, follow it, and see results? If it’s not that action-oriented, you can’t follow it either! Be sure the business planning system and templates you’re following direct your thinking from the ‘what’ to the when and the how. Now you’re cooking!
Check that plan! Be sure your plans get to ‘where the rubber meets the road’. Could I follow your plan–or is it just a series of numbers or high-fallutin’ statements?
Get More Business Planning Help Here
Take a look at the 2 webinars I did on business planning. There’s one for leadership and one for agents. I hope you’ll get both information AND inspiration!
Click here to see them.
Looking for a business planning systems that really covers the bases? Check out my online program, Beyond the Basics of Business Planning.
I’ve got all the analysis tools you’ll need for your business plan–and for your agents’ plans. Don’t let 2014 be less than it should be because you don’t have all the information
