If you had a list of 10 things that you could do, but you only had resources to do 5, how would you go about picking which 5?  How would you pick the 5 you would do?  And more importantly, how would you pick which 5 you would NOT do?

I’ve been there.  A world of infinite possibilities!  And by comparison, infinitesimal resources.  When I find myself in that space, I use a simple, straightforward tool to help me get through that angst.

The tool I use is my strategic plan.  I say, “I use my strategic plan.”  But it feels more like “the plan” is the one doing the work, not me.  I just read through it and ask a simple question…and the plan gives me the answer.

Creating alignment

A good strategic plan creates alignment.  Alignment across and throughout the organization.  A good strategic plan creates a line of traceability between actions and the overall goal.  In other words, a good strategic plan will tell you whether what you’re doing today is helping you get to where you want to be tomorrow.

That’s the question I ask of the plan – “How does doing X help me get to where I say I want to be?”

In the answer, I’m looking for a clear line of traceability.  I’m looking for something that’s easy to identify.  I’m looking for an obvious connection.  The clearer the line, the better. The easier that line is to identify, the better. The more obvious the connection, the better the alignment.  If I have to squint, strain, twist and contort things to get them to align…they’re not aligned.  If it takes a chiropractor to get things aligned…they’re way out of whack.

That’s not to say you can’t or shouldn’t do things that are marginally aligned.  It is saying that when you do, realize that you’re giving permission to other people on your team to also do things that are marginally contributing to the goal.  Is that what you want?

Marginal and must

So what about those things that are marginal…and must be done?  Those things that legitimately have to get done, but don’t have a clear, obvious connection to the plan?  This is where I practice “why I shouldn’t want it all.”  Yes, those things must get done.  But I don’t have to be the one doing them!  I don’t have to want to do it all!  I can let go of those things and instead, entrust them to someone for whom accomplishing those tasks is in alignment with their strategic plan.  By doing that, I create a true win-win.  And together, we propel each other forward.

What’s one “marginal and must” thing that you’re going to let go of this week?