FROM HERE TO THERE

 

JOURNAL

FROM HERE TO THERE

Bill Barksdale, columnist

Life has its ups and downs.  It’s easy to get lost, even depressed.  Planning, that is to say setting goals, helps to smooth out the journey.  But how do you set and achieve goals?  Whether your goals are personal, business or governmental, the same strategies pretty much apply, although each is a bit different.  Goals change as needs change or when old goals are met and new goals are envisioned.  Personal goals are more easily understood, because they are about you.  The confusion arises in differentiating between government and those of private sector business.  Most conventional businesses are essentially profit-driven, whereas it could it could be reasonably argued that the purpose of government is not profit but rather the fair and equitable administration of the Peoples’ affairs to benefit as many of those “governed” as possible (the common good); therefore, I posit that all monies and other assets collected by government are meant to benefit all citizens, conscientiously identifying the greatest need, while encouraging commerce and entrepreneurialism which, ideally, help support a strong financial foundation. 

All goal-setting shares some characteristics.  For instance, each can benefit from a classic S.W.O.T. analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.  A Strategic Plan, also called a Business Plan – is simply a detailed outline for goal attainment.  Start with where you are today and where you want to be in X number of years or months – the Goal.  Goals are SMART – Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Time-managed.  A five-year plan, as an example, sets mini-goals that target where you want to be at the end of Year One, Year Two, etc., until you get to the end of Year Five – the Goal.  One step at a time makes it realistically achievable, and analyzing your strengths can help you identify beneficial opportunities, as well as your weaknesses.  By recognizing your weaknesses you can remedy them by utilizing your strengths.  Recognizing opportunities offers ways to be more effective, not only at helping people, but (in business) providing a more useful service and achieving a greater profit.  By identifying threats you can find solutions, often turning those threats into helpful guidance for improvement.

See how that works?  An S.W.O.T. analysis helps us reach our personal goals, improving both business and good governance.  When things go off target you can make corrections; otherwise, businesses fail and government doesn’t achieve its goal of securing the greatest good for all.  It’s often said that the U.S. is a “capitalist” society, but any good economist must admit that in fact we have a combination of capitalism and socialism.  Just look at all the government assistance that businesses such as agriculture, energy, the financial industry and other commercial enterprises receive from our tax dollars.  That’s a form of socialism.  I’ve never been able to understand why some people get so angry when they hear the word “socialism” when our country couldn’t exist without it as part of the mix.  Political misinformation has often prevented us from seeing that reality clearly. 

The Covid-19 virus is the elephant on the table that will keep stomping on our heads until we pay attention.  It’s forcing us to reevaluate some goals and ways of doing things as it exposes incompetent, harmful governmental leadership.  The virus, in the absence of a reliable vaccine, is inspiring creative change.  When we work together in a respectful and reasonable way, things get better.  When we listen to misleading advice and ignore truthful guidance, things get worse.  A virus has no brain, no anger.  It’s simply a package of genetic information that infects cells until a counterforce intervenes.  Most agree that the health crisis didn’t have to get as bad as it is if we had benefited from straightforward leadership in the first place.  As citizens of the most hard-hit country in the world, we obviously need to do a better job with our future choices. 

As far as “moving on” goes, there are things we can control.  In business you collect customer-feedback to know how to improve your product or service and thus your profit.  If you’re smart, you also listen to your employees.  In government you can ask the old question “Is the Nation better off than it was four years ago?”  We have the capacity to examine what has been done correctly and what went wrong.  Next we choose a better direction. 

We have resources: money, creativity, equal justice (in theory), ethical guidance, a population willing to work, a social safety net, an education system.  We have the tool of communication.  Honest communication is an invaluable means to make better decisions.  Don’t be boon-doggled by liars who stand to profit by misleading you.  There’s always a parade of flim-flamers out there.  Don’t be a fool.  Let your inner guidance point the way.  You know right from wrong. It’s called intuition.  Trust it.   

As Michael M. Kaiser said in his book, The Art of The Turnaround, “What one must not do is waste time rehashing the past, pointing fingers, and looking for scapegoats.  These activities stall all progress and deflate the hope and optimism that can emerge from the planning process.”  Formulate worthwhile goals.  Make plans.  Review them regularly.  As the opportunity opens up, move forward.  This is how we get from here to there.