Optimizing for the Short Term or the Long Haul

Which one keeps you in business?

Let’s think about how things get optimized today.

Do you make sure that the next three months will be the best they could be?

Do you have a five year plan?

Does one of these trump the other?

[ad#inline-body]

Short Term Success

It seems all the rage – to make sure that this quarter’s results are the best they could be.

(And while I’m talking “corporate” here, you realize that this same logic applies to other areas like your personal life, right?)

It’s probably a “good thing” to make sure that the current or short term activities are doing well.

But you might find yourself in a bit of a pickle if you’ve concentrated exclusively on short term results for 20 quarters…

In it for the Long Term

The only thing more common than those short term plans are the long term ones. Just what will be happening 5 years from now?

A good road map can be an essential tool for any organization.

Except of course if you run out of money and never make it to the 5th year. Yeah, things can be tough like that…

Strategy and Tactics

So let’s consider the long term to be your strategy, where you’d like things to end up (the big goal).

The short term – that’s tactics, dealing with specific problems or issues.

Balance

Isn’t just what tight rope walkers, dieticians and accountants do – it’s required in all endeavors.

For optimal success, you need to balance tactics and strategy … the short term and the long haul. The tactics need to support the strategy, and the strategy remains in line with those tactics. (We’re not going to create a luxury brand and then portion out cheap supplies…)

Out of control?

Can you tell when things are running amok, heavily skewed, or out of control?

That’s the time to step back and figure out where you’re headed and how you’re going to get there. Considering both the short term and the long haul.