Now is a good time to check-in

At the start of the year you probably had a plan. You may have even written it down. You might have thought through different scenarios and come up with ideas of how you’d respond to changes along the way.

A flu pandemic, while featuring on the National Risk Register, is unlikely to have featured in your planning thoughts at the start of the year. Never-the-less, it happened, and we’ve all had to adjust. For some it has been challenging, most of us have had less contact with loved ones, many people have lost income and jobs, and Oasis and Warehouse are just two of many businesses that have gone into administration. It has also represented a huge opportunity as we find we have more time, cleaner air, and for business, online retailers have reported a 76% growth between June 2019 and June 2020.

All this points to the importance of scenario planning as part of our planning thoughts.

As the immediate problems of Covid-19 seem to be tapering off and the longer-term impacts are becoming clearer, it is important for all of us, individuals, teams, and organisations, to carry out a systematic stocktake and refocus priorities for the next 6-12 months and beyond.

Here are some tips on carrying out a stocktake.

1. Choose a good time

Having space to think things through calmly and rationally is important so you can gain a clearer view on progress and opportunities. Chose a good time and place to do this. Early morning before the busyness of the day kicks-in works for me.

2. Review existing plan

Look at your existing plan, including any notes you might have made at the time, and against each objective or goal note down:

a. What have I achieved?

b. What have I not achieved yet?

c. What is no longer relevant?

3. Get a different perspective

If you have a group plan, check-in with other members of the group for their perspectives on progress. If not, change your perspective, what might a critical friend, or an exceedingly positive friend, tell you about progress? Try to get evidence of progress where you can and balance objective and subjective perspectives – what the facts tell you and how you feel about things are both important.

4. Look at you objective(s)

What would you like to be different in the future? Think about where you want to be in 12 months’ time. Are the objectives you have written down really the right ones to help you get there? Take some time to reimagine the objectives if you need to.

5. Keep cool and think big

Don’t be afraid to think big. If you need to shelve a long-held idea because it is no longer credible or sustainable, then shelve it. Think through the implications of this – what will I gain as well as what will I lose? Balance the two. Take time to think through opportunities and how you can maximise these. Engage in a serendipity spotting – in the aftermath of a changed world, focus your mind not on the bad things but on the beauty within those things – it might just unlock a new thought or idea to take you to a far better place than you have previously imagined.

6. Refine

Having done the thinking, write down your refined objectives. Keep them SMART.

7. Scenario planning

With each objective in mind, think thorough all the things that could happen, the negatives (risks) and positives (opportunities). Use these thoughts to refine your plans and put contingencies and in place. Think of these as ‘if’ and ‘then’ statements. If such and such happens, then I will… By doing this, you can ‘bank’ these future plans and bring them into play if the opportunity arises.

8. Onwards and upwards!

Plans contain the information needed to get you to where you want to be – but you need to get on and do what you need to do. Take action! And don’t forget to check-in at regular intervals.