Planners vs. Doers

Often, everything from project plans to business development plans to career plans don't always work as intended.

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D. Brown Management
January 6, 2019 2 minute read
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To understand why, it is important to understand the psychological concepts of ego depletion and decision fatigue.

Quote: We are superior planners but become inferior doers as our environment exerts its influence through the course of our day. Marshall Goldsmith.

Many of us would simply prefer to “Get to Work” and start doing things, but we intellectually know that it’s important to create a plan so we can prioritize then execute most effectively. 

Most things that come in “Off-Plan” are due to failures in disciplined execution rather than bad plans or lack of capabilities. 

  • Focus heavily on the routine processes that will help you achieve your plan.  
  • Create regular habits and routines that keep you and your team on-track. 
  • Build motivation through disciplined execution.

Marshall Goldsmith does a great job discussing these in his book Triggers, including 6 Daily Questions we should all ask ourselves.

Tactical and Strategic Question Categories
When planning, separate the questions you ask yourself into tactical and strategic categories. Answer the strategic ones first, back-checking them against the tactical ones to evaluate the viability of your plans.
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