- The planner, the doer, and the combo

The planner, the doer and the combo are three kinds of people. Most people fit in one these categories. You and I aspiring to be great people and great leaders have to recognize where we fit. We must recognize and get into the right category to achieve richness.

If you find yourself not being as effective as you want to be or as efficient as you once were, chances are it has to do with being in the wrong role at the right time. Let me briefly explain.

Let us begin by talking about the planner. This is the person who spends time planning everything. This person thinks about every detail. Sometimes this person also thinks about every counter-argument and defeats himself or herself into action. What I mean is that this person plans…but nothing happens.

 

This is like getting ready to takeoff but not even try to warm up the engines. These people talk about their plans, and you wonder why nothing has happened. They say, “Well, I am waiting for____ , so I can do this.” They wait for the perfect moment. Is there a perfect time? Not really. The best time for doing something is now.

The next person is the doer. Sounds appealing, right?! Yes of course! This is the action hero. That may sound all great, but what’s the problem? The problem is that most of the action of this person is undisciplined. What I mean is that this person gets out there to labor, and labor, and labor…yes, and labor. Always too consumed in someone else’s agenda.

This person is so consumed with doing that little time is spent in proper analysis of the fruits of the work: am I in the right track? Many times these people say, “I would like to do this or that, but I don’t have ___time!” It’s all a wish. If this person has drive, why haven’t this person arrived? This person has not given thought to his or her destination. That’s why.

I prefer and strive to be the combo; I call this person the P/D (Planner/Doer). Do you know what I mean? Be the one that plans, and the one who has the drive to do. But these have to be connected. If you want to hit the bull’s eye, there is no other way.

The P/D starts with a target goal—an end state. This person sits and plans. (You and I need to envision and plan.) This person set timelines and make them clearly visible. (You and I need to place these plans where we can see them daily—glue them to a wall.)

The P/D then takes these plans and align them in a “Kill” sequence. Then, this person figures out how to do it and devotes his energy to annihilate each target. There are no other choices. As each target is accomplished, the P/D takes great pride and joy in the success. The P/D’s energy is renewed with each victory, giving him or her even more drive to accomplish the next!

As I am sharing this leadership thought with you, I remind myself to sit down today and assess where I am.

I remind myself to clearly decide where I am going, then align a “Kill” sequence of events to get there. 

I am getting in the “cockpit” of this jet, take off, and begin to annihilate each target. Hooah!

Always motivated, Jose LugoSantiago

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*Copyright © 2012 Jose LugoSantiago