Are You Flying By the Seat of Your Pants or Do You Have a Plan?
"Flying by the seat of your pants" is an aviation term that came about during the early days of aviation.
While I am reasonably sure that you have heard it - have you ever stopped to consider what it really means?
Back during the early days of aviation, there was not much available to help pilots.
Back then there were not as many wonderful tools, instruments, and aids to navigation as there are now and many pilots relied upon their own intuition and used their own instincts to make decisions as they went along without much if any kind of an advanced plan.
Sometimes it worked out - sometimes it didn't.
Management Control Systems vs Flying By the Seat of the Pants in Business
The same term has been used in business with a very similar meaning.
It means relying solely on feelings and instincts to make decisions as things occur vs having preplanned and developed policies, procedures, methods, and tactics in place.
In essence - it is reactive vs proactive in how challenges are recognized and how they are dealt with as they occur.
The difference between the two approaches is stark - just as it has been in aviation, though perhaps not as physically painful.
Luckily for us all, we have all the wonderful training, tools, and support available here inside of Wealthy Affiliate to help us do far better than that.
We also have plenty of other "aids to navigation" and planning tools and resources available to help us do better, all at the touch of a few keys on a keyboard.
In the end though, the way we choose to take the journey always comes back to the same thing it did back in the early days of flight - decision making.
With that in mind, what about you? How do you want to build and run your own business?
Do you prefer a more systematic approach - or do you like the seat of the britches method?
That's it for this one.
Until next time, be safe and always remember to;
Choose Your Own Course, Build a Better Life
Best regards,
L.D. Sewell
Recent Comments
22
Hi LD,
Thanks for sharing this wonderful comparison. Lots to be learned from this post.
Bill
LD I am a planner, visioning, business plan, whiteboard, the whole nine. It keeps me much better focused. I will say however there are clutch moments where my gut has led me in the right direction as not every situation can be envisaged. Nice post.
Hugh
You sound a lot like me Hugh! I use multiple systems combined as one to help me keep from losing my own mind in the pursuit of productivity.
No system or method is ever perfect - and I agree with you too, sometimes we have to do what we have to do too.
Best regards,
L.D. Sewell
Thanks for sharing LD.
I would definitely prefer the more systematic approach, but like my 3 amigos below, I fear that the seat of my pants path is the one I happen to be on!
That's OK too... so long as it is an intentional choice, and it works for you. Then if it stops working of course you may also choose to change your approach any time you like too.
Best regards,
L.D. Sewell
See more comments
I definitely prefer to have a plan, but sometimes you have to be ready to jump in and fly as needed.
Alex
That is the paradox - and the thing that keeps life exciting too : )
This is true.
The old saying.
"Plan the work, then work the plan, but be ready to change" comes to mind