I don't have the insight or intellect of Tom Peters or Daniel Pink, but to my naive way of looking at things there seems to be obsession in industry with planning.
Since the end of the 1980's we seem to be spending an awful lot of time talking about the work, and less and less time actually doing the work.
This doesn't mean planning is all bad, parts of it work well. For example - general project schedules are a must, resource look-ahead plans are critical to profitability, and tracking sales against pipeline goals is an essential element of consulting.
But they are all scheduling issues, what really gets to me is the constant strategic meetings, drilling down into infinite levels of detail on a strategic "masterpiece", and trying to foresee every conceivable outcome of all situations.
It hurts my gut just thinking about it.
In the meantime what's happening to the project or initiative? Nothing - that's what.
Instead of doing, we're talking
Instead of acting, we're intending to act
Instead of tending to the minutiae of an unfolding project, with dozens of daily crises, dramas, and bruised egos of talented individuals - we're doing what? - Locking ourselves away from the action, delaying decisions, and satisfying inner insecurities and fears.
Instead of being called a control freak it would be great to be called a "results freak" wouldn't it?
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