Planning Your Action
“Never mistake motion for action.”
Imagine a pilot comes over the plane intercom and says, “I have good news and bad news. The good news is we’re making great time. The bad news is that we have no idea where we are headed!” An old joke, but the pilot’s comment highlights the fact that moving fast doesn't always mean we're headed in the right direction. This can also be true of our own lives and leadership. Just because we think we're making great progress because our schedule is full doesn't mean we’re actually accomplishing something of significance.
I have written previously on passion and vision. Action must be added for these things to come together. Our passions must be guided by a deeper sense of purpose and eternal reality and our vision also be centred and grounded upon a clear view of the world and its needs– but to turn passion and vision into reality requires a plan of action.
There are many great strategic planning models and tools available but I want to suggest a very simple framework as you think about ways to turn your vision into action – six words from a poem by Rudyard Kipling:
“I keep six honest serving-men (They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who.
I send them over land and sea, I send them east and west;
But after they have worked for me, I give them all a rest.”
Now this may seem like a strange basis for making a plan but let me assure you that if we have these same six honest people working for us, it is amazing what can be achieved! By turning Kipling’s six “serving-men” into questions we can create an action plan that will move our passion and vision from the realm of ‘dream’ toward concrete plans and give us a framework for achievement.
To build a successful action plan we’re going to consider the questions in this order:Why? What? How? Where? Who? When?
WHY?
The first question to consider as we begin our plan is: Why do I want do this?
Simon Sinek wrote a great book called “Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action”. The basis of “Start with Why” is the concept that people won’t truly buy into a product, service, movement or idea until they understand the WHY behind it. It’s both motivational and inspiring.
Alongside thinking about our vision we need to keep remembering your passion and vision — your “Why”. Why do you want to do this? Why do you want to see this particular vision come to reality? What is your driving motivation? These questions ensure you’re focused on the right target. And, if you honestly answer these questions, you will draw upon the inner motivations of your heart. Being able to remind yourself of your “Why” will become important when the going gets tough.
WHAT?
The next question to answer is: What is my vision?
In my previous article I talked about considering what God has been putting on your heart. Hopefully you have now had some time to consider your vision and have tried to capture it as an illustration or in words. You may have also begun to test your vision by talking with others about what you see. Having your vision at the beginning of your action plan will serve as a reminder of what you want to achieve.
HOW?
Once you are clear on your motivation and your vision, the next step is to ask: How will I go about this?
“How” starts to move things from the theoretical to the practical. It involves framing up a statement of intent that outlines the way in which your vision will develop into action. If you see a particular problem in the world how will you go about solving it? If the problem is complex, how can you play some smaller part that will make a difference? After all, you’re unlikely to be able to single handedly bring about world peace or eradicate poverty but there will still be ways in which you can help make things better than they are now.
Part of answering “How” will relate to the way in which God has uniquely gifted you. What particular gifts, skills or talents has God given you that you use to fulfil the vision He has given you? How can these things help you make a difference?
WHERE?
Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu once said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” In the “Where” you need to ask yourself: Where do I want to start?
Most tasks, whether big or small, are made up of many little steps – from washing the dishes through to building the Great Pyramids of Giza. There is always an initial and most logical first step that leads to the second, then to the third and so on until completion.
As you consider your “How” what is the most logical first step? Can you take this first step right where you are or do you need to begin somewhere else? Are there some interim steps that you need to take in order to prepare or train or gather resources before you can truly begin?
WHO?
The fifth step is to ask: Who will join me? Bringing others around you and choosing the right team or support is almost as important as setting the right goals. In fact, many studies show that when people set out to accomplish their goals alone they are seldom achieved. Who could be your vision ‘buddy’? Who are the people that you can call on to be part of your team? God didn’t intend us to live alone or to work alone. As Proverbs 15:22 says, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”Furthermore, who might share your vision? When we used to ask students on campus to draw or write their vision we then asked them to name five people who might share their vision and be called to become part of it. Which five people come to mind when you think about who might be called to be part of your vision?
When?
The final step is to ask: When am I going to get started? All goals should have a time and date component. This is where it needs to get into your schedule. I use a planning system which helps me to turn my long term goals into quarterly goals, then into daily action steps in my calendar. For me, if it is not scheduled then it's not going to get done. If you want to see your vision become a reality then you need to get serious about scheduling and planning and setting goals - and be disciplined to keep them.
To illustrate these six honest “serving-men” in action, I asked my friend Gordon who began an organisation called “Build&Grow” (build-grow.org) to share his action plan in this framework. Here was his response:
Why? Helping families in need of housing in eastern Europe and helping businesses and professionals grow as teams and discover deeper social purpose.
What? Take people on team building work trips to build houses for families in need.
How? Partner with businesses, local churches and a kitset home company (located in Eastern Europe to help create jobs) to build houses for needy families.
Who? Create a board to help oversee the organisation and recruit partners to work on each project.
Where? Focus on Eastern Europe, starting in Romania and Moldova.
When? First build May 2018 in Romania, as a “proof of concept”, then reflect, analyse and optimise and plan for more builds.
That’s all your initial plan of action needs to include!
It doesn’t need to be pages and pages long. Start with a simple outline and get some input from a couple of people you trust and who might share your vision. Once you get to the “Who” stage you may even have the beginnings of a team who can adopt your vision and work alongside you as you put that vision into action.
So, do you have a vision you want to work on? How about taking some now and take your vision a step further by answering these action plan questions:
What is my ‘Why’?
What is my vision?
How will I go about this?
Where do I want to start?
Who will join me?
When am I going to get started?
My prayer is that you will take some time to seek God, write down some of the things God is putting on your heart, and how these might be fulfilled
Then it's time to set up and take your first steps!