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Thinking about the future? Role play

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We are in times of deep uncertainty and people wonder about how to do planning during uncertain times. All you know for sure is that your strategy needs to adapt. What to do? Maybe it would help to do a bit of role playing. I’ll add a new white paper to my website by mid-week, but here’s a few role-playing tips to consider while you wait.

  • Play the general and conduct war games with your best people. What do you want to accomplish and how will the terrain (economy) and the enemy (competition) react to your moves? What can you do to react to their moves?
  • Play the coach and watch game films. Study your entire industry and see what they are doing. What can you learn from their successes and mistakes.
  • Play the project planner and consider the elements of risk you are facing and what mitigating moves you can make and what contingengy plans you need to put in place.

I have nine more tips for you and will have them posted on my “publications” tab by mid-week. Download them if you want them (free — no e-mail address required).

But here’s the question for you. Who do you role play when you think about dealing with uncertain times?

Date: March 8th, 2009 @ 06:18

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Categories: Adaptive Strategy

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AndrewNo Gravatar

in March 9th, 2009 @ 07:54

Hi Bill,

I just came over to your blog upon the recommendation from Brad Shorr on WordSellInc.

As I understand that this blog has been launched only recently, let me firstly wish you the best of luck. From what Brad said about your extensive background, I am sure that many of your readers will gain a great deal of wisdom and insight from what you have to share.

Personally, I am not in a management position and do not have any significant form of management experience to share in the comments to discussions in which you post. However, I look forward to hearing what you have to share. I have a dream of running my own business in the future and I am sure that a great deal of what you have to share will be relevant to me personally during much of my working life.

Your reference to ‘war games’ as a strategy to survive challenging times brings up an interesting question in my mind. In his description of you, Brad made reference to your military background. Do you personally feel that your military background has been a significant influence in terms of your approach toward management strategies?

Bill WelterNo Gravatar

in March 9th, 2009 @ 10:10

Andrew,
First, thanks for the kind words and explantion.
Regarding your question about my military background, I have to say (with enthusiasm) — YES. That said, my time in the Marine Corps did not help me understand business per se, but it was one heck of an education in learning about people and teams. I was fortunate enough to spend some of my time as an enlisted Marine and later as an officer. Living on “both sides of the salute” was an incredible lesson for a young man. In that regard, the military and business are very much alike — it’s all about the people. All of us need to remember that we are not alone — our teams (formal or informal) make all the difference in the world. Thanks for the question.

Brad ShorrNo Gravatar

in March 9th, 2009 @ 12:37

Hi Bill, Good to see Andrew pop over – you might like his blog. He writes about business ethics with great insight. And can you think of a better topic for these times? When I had a telemarketing staff we used to do this thing where we’d sit around a big table and one person would fire a typical objection at another person, who would have to respond as best he/she could. We’d do this rapid fire, and after a while, we were able to hone the responses down and, as side benefits, learn how to think on our feet and perform under pressure a little bit better. Hey, maybe those were the main benefits. But practice gives you confidence, and you really need confidence in uncertain times.

Bill WelterNo Gravatar

in March 9th, 2009 @ 15:17

Brad, I agree about the power of practice. Great athletes still practice. Great musicians practice. Yhy shouldn’t we? We should!

AndrewNo Gravatar

in March 11th, 2009 @ 07:18

Thanks Bill,

Again, not having been involved with the military in any form, I cannot speak from personal experience, but I would have thought that involvement within the military would have been about the best place on earth with respect to experiencing the necessity of teamwork.

I would imagine that there would have been absolutely no room at all for anything but a top notch team when you know that your lives may depend upon on another.

Fred H SchlegelNo Gravatar

in March 12th, 2009 @ 18:05

I’ve had fun in the past playing the customer against product development and customer service folks. (Specially when I’ve heard one reason too many about how dim their customers are.) The change-up is not for them to figure out how to sell, but how to understand a ‘difficult’ customer’s point of view. Since most customers who ‘don’t get it’ walk away, the exercise can uncover some interesting ways to simplify or alter products in ways that improve acceptance.

Fred H Schlegel’s last blog post..What Doorways Have You Bricked Over? Part II: The $20 Million Hurdle.

Bill WelterNo Gravatar

in March 13th, 2009 @ 08:42

Fred,
Great idea. It’s a shame that we so often blame the customer for our product or service shortcomings.