279 Anticipate Issues As A Leader

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">Wayne Gretzky is famous for the ice hockey quote “skate to where the puck is going to be”  about anticipating where and when the critical actions have to be taken, rather than just following what is already happening.  This metaphor applies even more in business, because the complexities are much higher, the team is usually a lot bigger and the ramifications much larger.  In reality though, we often find ourselves following, rather than leading. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">We are frequently looking at numbers which are historical indicators, not forward guides to what is coming.  The ebb and flow of the day also sucks up all of our time.  We are dealing with people issues and these are inspired by something that has already happened and can’t easily be undone or was missed and didn’t happen.  Again, we are all historians, poking over the bones of the event to try and create a narrative to explain what has happened, so that we won’t see a repeat of a failure.</span><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang= "EN-US"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">The puck location idea here is to get ahead of that daily grind and look forward.  We know we should do this, but the amount of actual forward planning we do is often limited to working up the annual plan. Daily changes make that plan irrelevant pretty quickly.  As the famous philosopher Iron Mike Tyson said, “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”.  We are getting punched in the mouth everyday and are usually bogged down in reaction, rather than spending any high value time in anticipation.  Ask yourself this question, “How much time do I spend on a daily basis predicting, rather than reacting?”.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">Some numbers can be made available that allow us to track trends and give some insight into where the numbers may finally fall out.  The run rate on revenues can tell us whe