A Messy V

As I was returning to my office from an appointment this morning, a flock of geese caught my attention. I am fascinated by the migration of geese. The fact that they do migrate, the mystery that they instinctively know when to migrate, and the techniques that they use in their migration all pique my interest. This was a particularly large flock, and, like many I have watched, these geese were not flying in a crisp V formation. Instead, some were bunched up, others were moving around, and a couple of stragglers were in danger of losing the flock altogether.

Through reading, I have come to understand that geese fly in a V formation because the aerodynamics of the V allow them to fly further with less effort. In an efficient V, the leader rotates to prevent tiring. The flock that I saw this morning was not in a well-formed V; they were in a very messy one.

This messy V reminded me of a statement that I once read that everything tends toward disorganization and chaos. I have found this to be true; have you? Take a look at your business, for example. Without a focus on the organization and what needs to happen next, activity disintegrates into tasks which do not keep the business moving forward. Without a direction, the business meanders around taking in revenue but not growing. Without a plan and an effort to stay on that plan, the business lags behind.

These businesses mirror the geese in the messy V formation.

They are flying around, bunching up, and straggling behind. They are not getting where they want to go. Their efforts are not leading to growth.

To maintain organization, to have direction, and to achieve growth, a business must constantly review its current situation. In addition to recognizing what is happening, the business must compare reality to its plan. Then, the business must decide what to do next. Doing this consistently is critical to a business’s success.

I know that many businesses are not successful because they do not have a plan. They have never planned their overall business, not to mention planning their marketing. If you don’t have a marketing plan, you don’t have a direction. Plans are not busywork. They are road maps, game plans, and strategies leading your business to growth. They are tools to maintain organization and prevent chaos. Having a marketing plan is your first step toward achieving your revenue goals.

The next step is reviewing that plan and making adjustments.

Do you have a written marketing plan? How often do you review your plan?