Definitive Business Plan, Second Edition, The

Trying to catch the tail

Business planning is similar to a dog chasing its tail. The end is always in sight but you never arrive there. A new business-planning cycle always starts before the old one is over. Targets are continually shifting in this ever-changing world. Plans are always being revised. You never quite know whether your original plan was accurate. You always think that it was, because you measure the present against the latest modification to the plan, not the original plan which is invalid now anyway.

Once in a while, grab the tail and see what you can learn from the current divergences from the very first plan. Congratulate yourself if you have successfully steered a course through the changing environment.

Note

The plan is where ...