As I’ve been attending monthly meetings and learning more about strategic planning I was recently given a new approach to how we can attack problems that arise or projects we want to carry out in our ministries.
I put together the diagram above to accurately describe this method. Usually we go through the first method. We define the challenge and then determine what is, meaning the current situation and the resources we have available. Next, we determine the best path to take and when we run into problems we see what’s in the way and try to determine how to overcome the obstacles. After we get past the obstacles then we try to figure out what is the hope of everything that we’re working towards and we’re happy if we can achieve that or even come close.
The problem with this method is that it creates a lot of frustration (especially if what we’re trying to accomplish is time sensitive) and we rarely get the maximum results. Instead, what we should do is rearrange the steps to look like the second diagram: define the challenge, determine what is, determine what the hope is (picture a perfect future), look at what’s in the way, and then determine the path we should take to obtain the hope by creating a clear plan and a to do list.
Most people don’t get excited about doing this because it means a lot more time spent in the initial planning phase, but in the end they find that it was worth the effort because it saves time and frustration in the execution phase and you are more likely to achieve maximum results. The second method also helps you better measure if you have reached your goals because you have determined in the beginning what the hope for the project or problem is. If you or your students always find yourselves frustrated and running into walls when planning different events and projects implementing the second method will be incredibly helpful to your group.