“In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable.”

– Dwight D. Eisenhower

or, more succinctly:

“Plans are nothing; planning is everything.”

The delightful Whit B Nimble recently posed this question to her readers:

“What’s your business mantra? (Your go-to quote or inspiration that drives you toward greatness)”

The Eisenhower quote is my mantra.  It’s something that I come back to time and again. Managers must be able to adapt to evolving situations. If we adhere to a plan too rigidly, we risk missing unexpected opportunities or falling victim to unexpected threats. But staying flexible doesn’t mean that planning should be abandoned altogether. The planning process forces us to seek information, anticipate costs, and prepare our team. It allows us to think through potential scenarios and fully understand our capacity.

You can find Whit B Nimble’s 9 other questions, as well as her responses to my own here.