When you least expect it…You’ll be surprised. Learn not to be.
Eastern philosophers have learned the Law of Karma, long, long ago. They learned to expect something unexpected whenever plans are made and people settle comfortably into those plans. Something special often, but not always, arises that causes the direction, velocity or other dynamics of the plan and events contained within those plans to change.
- The perfectly planned bank robbery escape-plan gets tripped up because one of the thieves unwittingly drops his passport with his home address for the police to find in a matter of minutes.
- The business executive executes a poor business strategy that he or she and everyone associated to it becomes despondent over because it is surely to fail, when out of nowhere something happens that was unusually “lucky” for all parties and the dynamics of the plan takes a dramatic turn to the upside and results in success.
Robert Burns, back in the 1790s, nailed this phenomenon. To paraphrase Burns and state his observation into terms we understand today: the best-laid plans of mice and men [often go awry].
Sometimes contingency plans can become a “life saver”; other times, not much help either. But I do encourage a “Plan-A” and at least a “Plan-B” for almost all important plans and strategies.
Rule: plan to the best of your ability, execute the plan to the highest standards, but expect some unplanned, unexpected event, a surprise, to become a disruptive force.
