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Measure twice, cut once...but cut already!!!

My father taught me to never forget the "6 P's"...... "Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance".

Failing to plan is planning to fail.

But there is a natural human tendency to overplan. I've often heard it called "analysis paralysis". When a project is defined by all analysis and no execution, what exactly is being accomplished?

Colin Powell stated (and I am paraphrasing) that in planning, you can never achieve more than 80% assurance. He also states that when you hit that level, any further effort for more assurance is wasted time.

In my experience I have seen hundreds of examples where there is no exact answer. The answer is created as action is taken. Often, the things which are unclear to us, are revealed in increments as we move towards a goal.

So it seems to me the answer lies in the following three steps:

1. Prepare for your future. Train, study, practice. Keep "sharpening your saw". When a situation comes up, you will only be prepared for it if you have prepared for it.

2. Create an environment of action. Rely on your team, create an environment that allows for a consensus to be made quickly, correctly, and efficiently. Have a hierarchy that will empower next steps, be it democracy, select committee, or dictatorship....

3. Once the consensus is made, MOVE. Take action. Accept accountability but allow for mistakes. Expect perfection?? Then you probably didn't read the above very well.

Now let's go get some shit done.

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