I recently referenced the famous D. D. Eisenhower quote on planning with a group of clients: “In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable” – to me, the relevant point in a strategy planning session is that people need to be present, engage in the conversation, and build connections to people in the room. Because the most beautiful artifact from the meeting will be close to meaningless once they walk out the door and are faced with the real world.

One of the clients in the meeting offered up a Mike Tyson quote – upon being asked by a reporter about his plan for an upcoming fight, he reportedly said “everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth.”  or something like that….

It is truly a great point – the best plans go out the window once things get very real. The metaphorical punch in the mouth comes in all sorts of ways in business – a budget cut, a key resource leaving, an unhappy client, a non-functioning government that changes regulations and requirements on a political whim – you name it, people deal with it in business every day.  So all the planning work that goes into delivering products and services to internal and external customers is still at the mercy of that punch to the mouth that causes everyone to react and move.

How well you deal with that as a leader, as a leadership team, and as a company is what is really important – more so than the beautiful roadmap you’ve all created. I’d suggest that back to Eisenhower’s point, the process of planning together builds the ties that bind that help you through all sorts of twists and turns, including getting punched in the face.  What happens then?  You are able to stay consistent and steady on direction while adjusting to the new reality.