Finding a new strategic plan

In this first week of December I am settling into a regular pattern again after a month of chaos from the move. Not that the chaos is ended, it just that I can clear a half day now to focus on strategic goals.

The immediate plan is to meet and interview people in my new hometown. I’m focused on identifying people who are aware that they can make a difference in the future of their community. What I’m finding, so far, is that I need a more effective approach to convince them to break their routine and talk with me.

Also, Sebastian, my business coach, alerted me this week that my interview technique is pretty much terrible. I figure it will improve with learning and experience; mostly the latter.

Overall, I’m not happy with the pace of this project and today thinking about how I can ‘pick up the pace’. That phrase immediately triggers thoughts of college coaching when that same phrase was used again and again to propel our wrestlers to higher levels of performance. It was clearly a Pavlovian response and appears to still be powerful with me today. It worked once to raise our performance to record setting national championships. Can I harness that power again?

At this point the four step objective of this project is clear:

1. Meet the influentials.

2. Ask about their priorities and goals.

3. Learn about their recent successes and make note of the techniques.

4. Ask about their ongoing struggles, unmet needs and look for patterns that might indicate opportunities for new economic solutions.

Once I’ve collected feedback from at least a dozen people then I will be in a better position to take the next steps to develop a new business plan for myself.

Which door leads to the best path forward?

by

Tags: