An Ideal State of Mind

*From “Being Strategic About our Planning”

Long term, visionary planning has been, and will continue to be, a constant topic of  discussion and a focus for leaders. Vision and mission are rightfully at the heart of long term planning processes. But all the planning doesn’t matter if it isn’t directly connected to action based on those plans. So where do you start in the process then? And, should our plans stress a long term ideal that plays out over years? Or, should our plans target quick, short term goals that will either be made or missed by the end of the current school year. To start, consider these 2 scenarios about planning:

Scenario 1 – I just watched a video about the best idea ever. It’s so cool and we can use it right away. You don’t even have to learn anything new really. And it’s pretty inexpensive. I think the whole team is going to love it. We’re guaranteed to get results fast! Also, everyone will love to see our quick progress!

Scenario 2 – I just watched a video about the best idea ever. We should use the upcoming district retreat to try out this planning model that will have us come up with some plans for some goals we might be able to achieve in the next 2 or 3 years. We can get everyone’s input. Our stakeholders will love to see that we care about our long term focus and where we see ourselves as we grow in the next few years!

Either of those sound familiar? Each one of those might be something you’ve said to your team or heard someone say to you. Scenario 1 is a rapid response to issues that are front of mind. Maybe it’s a concern we just saw this week on our campus or district. Scenario 2 addresses an aspirational goal and is really a model for planning and brainstorming. So which one is the way to start? Is that your final answer? 

My response? Yeah, how about neither…or both. What a wishy washy answer, right? Stick with me.

Balancing the work of Today with the work of Tomorrow

The Short Term Fix vs The Long Term Dream

What if you or your organization, campus, or district is facing some very real and difficult IMMEDIATE short term hurdles, walls, or cliffs? You have to have results now, not in 2 or 3 years. And in the face of these pressures there is a lot riding on getting things moving quickly on the ground. We might be tempted to tell ourselves that we shouldn’t lose time to the detached daydreaming that scenario 2 might lead us into. Yes, absolutely. But, at the same time we have to ask, how do we avoid a series of quick fixes? Fixes that might, if we’re lucky, connect to other initiatives we’ve raced to implement. There is still an empirical need to have a long term road map in place. A plan that looks 2 or even 3 years down the road. Scenario 2 nudges us towards this.

You have to start somewhere but where is that exactly? Recently I heard someone put this conundrum into a great phrase. You have to work on the work of today without losing sight of the work of tomorrow. Let’s think about it.

The Ideal – And What if Things Work Out Perfectly?

Let’s be real, as much as the immediacy and urgency of daily work demands, you do absolutely have to start with a vision of where you want to be. And I mean a perfect world vision of that ideal goal. I want you to imagine a genie lands on your desk and gives you a wish without any kind of catch. This is a straight up, “What do you really want” type wish you’ve been granted. Dream big. Take the time to really go deep with this one too. What is it you want? What does that look like? What does it sound like? What does it feel like? This is NOT time for any hints of doubt or “oh, that will never happen” talk – even jokingly. What. Do. You. Wish. It. Could. Be. Ask yourself one of the most powerful questions that can be asked, “What if everything works out?”

Once you have this ideal vision, you’ll have your North Star that you will navigate by, your fixed compass direction, your coordinates that a long sleeping droid just dropped on you in a massive space map reveal. Fyi, not sorry for the nerdy Star Wars reference there. This is your vision. This is where you want to be when your work over the next 2 or 3 years has paid off. Everything that is next will be based on this ideal state.

It’s Really Long Term Dreams AND Short Term Plans

I truly believe that there really is a right place to start and that is with setting a long term, ideal, perfect world, end goal. But, knowing where you want to go and doing nothing about it is surely one of those definitions for insanity. If it isn’t, it absolutely is a definition of ineffectiveness. And, to start with short term plans with the intent of tightening up some sort of long term end goal later might make us feel like we’re doing something but are we, as Atomic Habits tells us, confusing movement for action. Linking all our actions to an overarching vision will prevent us from racing down a wrong path or even several wrong paths that  might lead us right back to where we started – looking for the right thing to do.

Take some time…to maximize your time

“Go slow to go fast” suggestions

Vision/Long Term Goal

• Take a few minutes to dream big. What is something you would ask that genie for?
• Remember to ask yourself, “But what if everything went right?”
• What does it look like? What does it sound like? What does it feel like?

Review some short term goals

• List the activities you are working on currently
• What is the connection (if any) to that long term vision you came up with?

Review your current long term ideals and goals

• How close are they to your ideal vision?
• What are some specific actions you are taking right now to meet them?

*This is a part of a longer writing that goes into the entire strategic planning process