No Man’s Land – a business definition

No man’s land – Defined as “After the strategic planning, before the activity”

The first two months of a New Year is a complex time filled with potential and excitement for what lays ahead, and some apprehension about the future. We all spend so much of our time planning, forecasting, predicting and laying the groundwork for the year ahead and all of a sudden you’re back in the thick of it!

I think there is time between the first day back at work and the first Strategic Review or Board Meeting which should be called “No man’s land”. Wikipedia describes it as “land that is unoccupied or is under dispute between parties who leave it unoccupied due to fear or uncertainty.” This is the time when you’ve done your prep but haven’t stepped into the action plan yet and those few little uncertainties pop up. Should you really: “expand into that new field? Hire a new team? Prepare to sell the company? Start up a new business?” Yes, you probably should but the quiet voice in your mind is prompting you to check in with the consequences of your actions. My recommendation is to face them head on, respond to the challenge. Discuss the options with your mentor/advisor/partner and make sure that to the best of your ability you have foreseen and are able to respond to the challenges ahead. Don’t fall into the trap of being “too busy” so that you don’t have time to plan ahead.

Do pay attention to the reminders that you need to take control of the strategy, it is a significant KPI for every Leader. And it is part of the entrepreneurial process. The adrenalin rush comes when you’ve pressed “go” but before you see the activity resulting from your decision.

Today I ran the 4th of 8 Strategic Planning Workshops scheduled by end February – challenging, exciting and full of “we can do it and we know how” attitude. The Leaders have given clear directions and the team understand the plan. I’m looking forward to the June/July reviews where we check in and review monthly milestones – all part of the essential accountability for success.