December is already upon us. If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to make your plans for changes and new initiatives in the new year.

Here is a distilled version of the military planning and readiness process that you can apply to your own needs. I’ve been helping my business clients with this type of “battle preparation” for close to 10 years now.

This is a proven method to get through any challenging period and come out on the other side with outstanding results.

1. Determine or confirm the problem to be solved or the change to be made. This leads to a clear and concrete statement of the end state or vision and its supporting objectives.
2. Do a time estimate to determine how much time is available before launching the change/operation and the tasks that must be achieved before D-Day.
3. Plan and execute reconnaissance in order to discover and assess the terrain (market), weather (economic, political, social conditions), objective (customers), and enemy (competition).
4. Analyse your tasks and responsibilities as well as the overarching strategic framework to create a clear and concise mission statement for the change/operation.
5. Give everyone brief overview of the mission and operation/change to come, including any preparatory tasks and work.
6. Plan the change/operation.
7. Communicate your plan in sufficient detail to give everyone involved to understand the overall context, intent, and their specific tasks, responsibilities, outcomes and resources. Leave sufficient time for subordinate elements and managers to conduct their own “battle readiness” procedure.
8. Execute the plan while controlling progress.
9. Evaluate interim results.
10. Make adjustments and update plan as needed. Communicate and control changes.

Feel free to contact me at any time for the this or any other strategic, leadership, and performance improvement needs.  Ask me about my “Battle Procedure Briefing” for business, which is one of the means I use to bring powerful results to my clients. I also speak and facilitate sessions on leadership, initiative, morale, strategy and using military wisdom to win business battles.

Richard Martin is The Force Multiplier. He brings his military and business leadership and management experience to bear for executives and organizations seeking to radically improve performance, grow, and thrive in the face of rapid change, harsh competition, and increasing uncertainty.

© 2015 Richard Martin. Reproduction and quotes are permitted with proper attribution.