What you say is so true, and happens far more than anyone likes to admit. Unfortunately the short-term thinking pattern is a hard one to break, especially when it’s built into the culture.

And thanks for the kind words, Sam - and a spot on your roll! I’m honored!

I’m going to give this a stumble.

1. Thought I mentioned this in the Assessment phase (step 2), but I’ll agree it wasn’t too clear that’s what I meant. I think of this phase as “getting everything there is to get” from the client. Sometimes you have to really “drill down” (or use dynamite!) to find those important nuggets that many clients sortof take for granted - or don’t know. Yet another problem, as you mentioned, is when the consultants don’t understand the client’s business. Not good for anyone.

2. It isn’t just people who don’t know what they don’t know - companies are generally the same way. That’s part of the challenge of designing a good outcome - and why it’s useful to be a bit flexible in setting goals. You’re pretty much guaranteed to discover more, and better, information as you get into the meat of an engagement.

(By the way, the above is precluded on the idea that both consultant and company are honest and upright in their dealings with each other. Alas, there are people out there who are just out to make a buck, and present themselves as experts when they’re, um, not.)

As far as personally - I agree one usually can’t go STRAIGHT from A to B; I’m not sayin’ that. But I do think it’s possible to take things one step at a time, build on what is learned, and eventually reach the goal (if it’s indeed a possible goal, of course). The decision to hire a personal coach, outside consultant or whatever, can hinge as much on the time frame as much as it hinges on experience.

Did I miss something, Scott? Let me know - I like to think I’m still teachable…

And hey, welcome to the Middle Zone, my friend!

1. The step where consultants ask everything there is to ask how the company actually works today is missing. You have to educate them on how things work. Sometimes that’s useful. Most of the time it is burning consulting dollars because consultants don’t understand how things work in real companies. Or indicative of how little the current management understands how things work in their own companies…

2. While the above may be commentary, this is the flaw with following this process personally: people don’t know what they don’t know.

It’s easy to say the grand plan is to publish a novel, but when you don’t know all of the things to be done to get the novel published you will never get the gap steps to execute.

In companies this translates into buying the expertise — usually buying another existing business where the work is already done so what you don’t know gets known.

I suppose in personal goals, this would translate into getting a coach, joining a club, or going to a conference to learn about the subject and have some contacts to help with what you don’t know.

But, I don’t think you can unilaterally go from Point A to Point B and know what all the gaps are in the process. You need to work with someone who has been through this before so that you know what you don’t know now.

I completely agree with this path driven vision method, Male or female. The extra layer for me is to imagine it - imagine the success or the goal with every part of me, the smells, the tastes, the sights, the sounds. If the goal is to spend summers writing at a cottage deep in the woods in Michigan…I say to myself — hey self, tell me more about that !! When I do that, I get that queeezy pit in my stomach feeling that tells me not only did I pick a great goal - it resonates in my heart. If I get really sick feeling I know I am pushing my vision. I know that it’s a stretch.

“Ham-fisted”? All we need are some green eggs and we’re done! (Er, sorry; been reading Dr. Seuss lately.)

Man, what a great descriptive phrase! It really makes a vivid picture of what happens to most of us when we forget to pay attention to the details!

You’re absolutely right about this, though. I my opinion, the biggest problem most organizations (including those numbering, er, one) is, when attempting to act strategically, they let tactical considerations get in the way. Generally speaking, one will usually be at the expense of the other.

Yes, there’s a short-term benefit to tactical thinking - excellent number this quarter, for instance. But almost all strategic benefits won’t pay off in the long run without some short-term cost, and there’s where we tend to get the heebee-jeebees.

Alas, it’s the way we’re conditioned to think, both in business and in our personal lives. That also explains why there has to be a very large bucket of motivation on hand - a clear and highly desirable vision.