Be Prepared

My lifelong partnership and journey with horses is the inspiration for “Straight from the Horse’s Mouth”. Lessons from the stable to the workplace.

There are few things more frustrating than working on a team that deals with frequent "fire drills", last-minute requests and changes in direction. Or being invited to a major project kick-off where key team members or required tools were missing.

Leaders who are unprepared tend to create a "culture of chaos" resulting in inefficient operations or worse.

While many strong leaders have very good instincts, instinct is not a substitute for preparedness. And being prepared can be as simple as aligning to the action plan.

Strong leaders strive to create a "culture of preparedness". Some simple, but effective ways to ensure teams are always prepared:

• Formal business plans updated at least annually

• Action and resource plan (including timeline and budget) for key projects and initiatives

• Have a contingency plan -- remember 'Murphy's Law' (anything that can go wrong will go wrong)

• Meetings must have agenda, purpose with follow-up actions clearly documented

• Preparation for major presentations or meetings should include --

  • Critical attendees are confirmed to attend

  • Talking points to ensure key messages, updates and anticipated questions are discussed

  • Time to practice

  • Test equipment such as audio-visual, cameras for virtual sessions are functioning properly

Similarly, being prepared is critical when working with and around horses. During training sessions, asking a horse to perform a maneuver that he is not ready for can be dangerous. It's important to make sure you have prepared the work area properly and that you have all the necessary equipment on hand. Every competition requires preparation. Logistics of preparing the truck and trailer for hauling. Ensuring the horse is at a point in his training where he is ready for competition.

As the saying goes, "hope is not a strategy".

What are your thoughts about preparedness? How important is it in your business?