Investing in a Vacuum

Every investment you make has a goal. The question is whether that's to build the future or fix the past.

If you don't know what you will become, how will you know when you're there?

We deal with tactical challenges every day:     

"The call centre has been backlogged with orders since we announced the new product."     

"Wouldn't it be nice if we could automate invoicing AND payment as soon as we've shipped?". 

It's so tempting to fix these issues, you can look at the big picture later. But that day never comes.

If you know what you want to become—what you need to become—you can get on with building the future:     

"We will only take orders online and our returns policy will give customers the confidence to pay up front."

Without strategy, you're making investment decisions in a vacuum. When you stumble from one fix to the next, you might get lucky and build the best business you can.

How do you like your odds?

Playing the Odds

If you haven't already done the exercise in Strategy is not Planning, do it now.

Next, take a look at the top 5 initiatives you have planned for the coming year. Line these up with your back of the napkin strategy and put a checkmark against every project that would be fundamental to reaching your vision.

How many projects survive that test? For those that don't, what should you do instead?

Trusting Technology is a book about forming ideas, exploring opportunities with customers and colleagues, and building your future together. Order you copy here . This article is also available in hardcopy as part of my 10-minute Reflections series of exercises—order volume 1 here and volume 2 here.