Yogi Berra once said, “the future ain’t what it used to be”.

In a year of strategic uncertainty, our workplace culture has become an espresso crazed, frantic free-for-all, void of real planning. It is a remarkable irony that short-term thinking on the part of companies such as Bear Stearns, Goldman Sachs and General Motors brought about this economic malaise, which has only beset even more short-term thinking.

Conservatism has become pervasive, as many entrepreneurs have retreated to tactical approaches to managing their businesses. It is as if we are victim to a form of collective myopia, reacting to the news and adjusting budgets to make it to another day.

Survival may not be a very practical objective. If a company survives but alienates customers, vendors and employees along the way, there won’t be much of a business left with which to emerge from the trough. One can only cut costs for so long. It is time for businesses to start planning for the recovery:

Use planning as the catalyst for innovation.

Examples of innovation that occurred during recessionary times are well documented, from the birth of Microsoft to the development of the iPod. Strategic planning is not an optional exercise to be conducted only when business is robust. If you are committed to growth, retaining your best customers and acquiring new ones, the ability to establish long range targets, expand into new businesses, and improve internal processes should be explored on a continuous basis. The executives at Amazon, one of the world’s most dynamic companies, meet every week for three hours to discuss strategic issues.

Continuously improve your value proposition.

Such organizations are leaders in strategic thinking; making decisions based within a framework that supports something larger than the decision itself. In Amazon’s case, the decision to invest heavily in Kindle had enormous ramifications across the enterprise, as an attempt to take over a new industry in such a disruptive fashion requires significant resources.

For many companies, the opportunity to align behind a set of game changing events that can promote a new market position is opportune regardless of financial conditions. A value proposition is not a fixed state of being, but a fluid set of variables that change with the market and evolving customer needs.

Only manage a handful of initiatives.

At a time when resources are limited, organizations can only manage a few initiatives at a time. Select no more than 5 and focus the executive team’s attention on flawless execution.

Build your team.

Organizations often utilize strategic planning as an opportunity to engage new contributors. Participation in a strategic meeting is often viewed as a reward for up and coming leaders and a coaching opportunity for those who don’t make the grade. Dwight Eisenhower said “plans are worthless, but planning is everything” meaning that it is not the documentation that is important, it is the learning that occurs in such meetings that can reposition organizations, reframe roles, and elevate performance. It is important to break down any team dysfunction at the onset if you want to have a productive planning meeting.

Tip the sacred cows.

Many an entrepreneur has lost their business because they were too stubborn to see the writing on the wall. It is human nature to hold on to our core beliefs. Psychologists refer to a phenomenon known as “confirmation bias” which is our instinct to seek out information that will confirm our existing beliefs instead of those that will contradict it.  Yet the greatest thinkers in history, such as Einstein, Newton and Galileo, spent most of their lives consumed with finding evidence that would disprove their own theories. Successful entrepreneurs surround themselves with people who are willing to challenge the assumptions about every product, service or process.

Be Proactive.

Many organizations intertwine strategic planning and business planning for the following calendar year.  It takes 90 days or more to unwind a business plan so the more proactive you are in your planning, the sooner you can begin to execute.