Planning: It’s About Management and Accountability

By Tim Berry

Every small-business owner suffers the problem of management and accountability. It’s much easier to be friends with the people you work with than to manage them well. Correct management means setting expectations well and then following up on results. Compare results with expectations. People on a team are held accountable only if management actually does the work... Read More »

Crystal Ball and Chain

By Tim Berry

This is an answer to a question I get way too often. I call it the “Crystal Ball and Chain” problem. I’ve run into it several times as I’ve introduced the planning process into a new company or organization. People in the organization sometimes fear business planning. In the background, the fear is related to... Read More »

Business Plans are Always Wrong, But Still Vital

By Tim Berry

(Note: It feels like business planning season to me. Fall, or almost fall, time to think about next year. So I’m reviewing business planning fundamentals, this week and next, refreshing some of my older posts.)  Business plans are always wrong. That’s because we’re human. Business plans predict the future. We humans suck at predicting the future.... Read More »