At MaxDis we talk a lot about getting things done. We assume because you are reading, you’re already interested in taking the initiative and bettering your organization … even if you’re not directly told to do so.
One of the fundamental ways we plan at work and in life is by recognizing the point of no return. Imagine a raid force speeding to an objective, maybe they are headed to capture a bad guy. There is a point in space and time when they have committed the force. When, regardless how the environment has changed, they are going in. Sometimes it’s a location on the ground, sometimes it’s time or enemy based, sometimes it’s a combination of several factors. In the same vein, anytime before that point, the force can abort. If the environment changes, if a helicopter breaks, if the force is detected ahead of time, if someone else shows up on the objective: the force can turn around and no one is the wiser.
In our communications shop we plan the same way. We build public affairs guidance and graphics to support a mission, we align our resources against a public engagement or we plan travel to support a particular initiative. We put all the parts in place and plan as if we are about to execute something, while recognizing the point where we will commit.
Many times we go all the way up to the edge of the point of no return, and hold right there. That’s uncomfortable for some, especially other staff sections who want us to use the PAG we staffed through intel channels, or execute the contract we’ve prepared. Yeah buddy, if we’re waiting for our leaders’ buy-in, or watching how events on the ground shake out, we’re hanging out right here at 99 percent complete until we decide to flip the switch. It’s how we give our command options and avoid being slow.
It’s a useful way to think and be in life and at work: aggressively plan for execution. If you decide not to execute, shelve your plans and move on to the next operation.
Photo by Master Sgt. Barry Loo
