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It’s that time on the calendar when the old year is nearly expired and a new year is soon to begin. It’s also that time when new plans will kick in for companies intent on growing their businesses. One of the things that seems to create confusion or consternation at many companies about the planning process is how to sort out the subtleties between goals, objectives, strategies and tactics. For those who could use a little refresher on the subject I would recommend this post from Altitude Branding.

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Most planning is built on a foundation of the past. Psychologists and anthropologists would tell us it is hard-wired into the human condition. We build our lives and find comfort in the familiar. It can be exemplified by the four levels of learning:

Level 1 – Unconscious Incompetence – you don’t know that you don’t know. A baby doesn’t know it doesn’t know French.
Level 2 – Conscious Incompetence – you know that you don’t know. A child overhears people speaking French and asks his mother about it.
Level 3 – Conscious Competence – you know that you know. A student has studied French for a few years and makes a conscious effort to speak and understand the language.
Level 4 – Unconscious Competence – it becomes second nature. You converse and think in French without a conscious thought to do so. This is the level where confidence is at a maximum.

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It’s common place to use some sort of ticket system to log work, whether it is a new project or supporting an existing system. I’ve come to the conclusion that writing and commenting a ticket is a special skill that requires thoughtful deliberation on the audiences involved. I’ve decomposed a ticket into what I consider essential elements.

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The average tenure of a CMO is slowly improving. Back in 2006, it was under two years. Now, according to the latest Stuart Spencer report, tenure has improved to over 28 months. At least it is heading in the right direction, but it certain doesn’t provide much job security for a high-paid position in a low- or no-growth economy.

Why are tenures for CMOs so appallingly short? The average CEO tenure in this country is 8.3 years – almost four times as long as a CMO.

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Most of us in this area should be dog-tired. After all, for the last week people in our region and at Sundog – along with our family, friends, neighbors and strangers – have been battling the mental and physical challenges of a historic flood. However, instead of fatigue, most people in this community seem downright buoyant. There is a joy and exhilaration that results from what we hope is an apparent victory. That success lifts spirits and soothes tired muscles.

Fighting a flood is not an ambiguous goal. Whether the objective is reached – or not – becomes readily apparent to all. There is no hiding behind inaction, bromides or statistics. There is no time for procrastination or bickering. The rising water is there. The town is here. Put up a barrier or be inundated. For over a hundred years, communities all along the Red have been well schooled in the “joy of victory and the agony of defeat” when fighting historic floods.

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