Change.doc
I’m experimenting with a simple technique that I started to use in order to maintain continual improvement in the overall strategic planning process. Cognitive psychology tells us that when dissonance is created in our minds, our subconscious works overtime to close those gaps. I’m sure most people have experienced trying to remember something that is out of reach, and hours later it just pops into your head. This idea loosely relates to the principles of that theory. Capture those things you want to change, and don’t yet know how to and let your subconscious chew away at it.
I keep a file on my desktop titled “Change.doc” which I use to record the things I want to change about strategy and business performance management within the company. These challenges/opportunities that I don’t yet know how to solve ride in the subconscious until my brain eventually spits out a solution, usually as I’m in a conversation with a co-worker.
The whole thing is organic, intuitive and allows your mind to solve challenges naturally rather than relying on your ability to be brilliant at those half day annual planning sessions.
The proviso here is that this isn’t intended to replace your plan.