Always have a Plan A and B

Shelter Chieza Change Management
It’s not every time that a woman sits on the couch and gets so engrossed watching a series of boxing bouts, but this time around I surprised myself.
I watched in awe a series of rounds where Muhammad Ali would pounce on opponents. What is admirable about this is that the likes of Mike Tyson are admirable sportsmen who were great strategists in their own way.

Tyson once said that “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”. As individuals we plan for events and for meetings, but somehow the playing field changes in an instant .

In the middle of battle when you “get hit”, things quickly change. It’s no longer the plan that is still working, one needs to work with either reason or experience to get them to the next level.

It is so true for every business decision. At one time we were planning a new venture with an employee in mind. We were working around him to set up an entire department. He had very strategic contacts which we all agreed would be important going forward.

He had the personality that we needed for this job and even his physique matched it all. And all of us were rocking on cloud nine when on that fateful morning he announced that he was leaving and had received an offer that we could not match by far.

We were all shocked to the core. Needless to say, we had been “hit”. It was a lesson learnt from that day that we must never plan with an individual in mind.

We had to quickly work out Plan B for the situation. Importantly, the same holds true in business. While I strongly support creating a business plan, things will never go exactly as planned. And the key to your success is how you react when you “get hit”.

One of my favourite boxers of all time, Muhammad Ali, is fun to watch. This man, as loud-mouthed as he was, would entwine his skill with hilarity. Ali would initiate a match with words. He knew words had an impact. Often before a fight, he would write poetry to stir anger within his opponent, you would hear him chanting and boasting of his own abilities.

Ali’s most famous line when he started his career was “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”. The way he would say “I am the greatest of all time!” was enough to drive and work on the other person’s emotions. And you see, the good thing about this is that his theatrics worked. In the Thrilla in Manilla, Ali called Frazier an “Uncle Tom” and a gorilla, among other bad names. Ali’s comments greatly angered Frazier. The fight was brutal. Both Ali and Frazier fought hard, both were determined to win, though Ali won, both were greatly injured.

Many people paid to see Ali’s fights just to see such a braggart lose. What is significant, however, is that these men were endowed with such confidence that propelled them to win and stave off any significant competition. If they had remained scared and afraid to delve into the world known for the heavyweight champions, they would not have been popular.

I understand that Mike Tyson has re-invented himself of late. He has gone through some rough patches in his life, but he has endured and risen from the negativity more than once.

You might recall the day he bit Evander Holyfield’s ear, it was a very bad business decision — it cost him US$3 million. The reporters called it an amgdyala hijack which is a strong emotional reaction, sudden onset, and “when you reflect later, you realise it was inappropriate”.

A lot of us make those strong emotional choices in business that would cost us dearly. Opportunistic decisions are ones that may bring in short-term revenues. They often let you off course; they all look bright and shiny but these are detractors, you can lose your entire savings in the process.
Tyson was once quoted saying that in a game, once you take a punch, the game plan goes out of the window and you do whatever it is you need to survive and endure. After taking a punch, the last thing you’re thinking about is the plan you meticulously developed for the fight.

The plan that you believed would ensure victory. It sounds pretty much like losing your best customer who has been giving you 80 percent volumes in business. Do you have a plan when that happens?

Till next week, may God richly bless you.

 Shelter Chieza is an adviser in management issues. She can be contacted at [email protected].