Exit Strategies or is it
Time to Pull the Trigger
Tim Connor
I can’t tell
you how many times I have observed clients; develop new products, create new
policies, acquire other companies, expand to new market areas and promote
certain people when these were destined to fail either dramatically over time
or shortly after the new decision was made. Or, people make a decision not
feeling sure of the outcome as planned or hoped. Very little in life always
turns out the way we want, need or hope or even feel we deserve and why? Well,
folks it’s called – life.
Sooner or
later some of our initiatives personally or in our career or business will
fail. Nothing in the future is
guaranteed. The major question is
however – if we embark on this – something new – what are our chances of
success or failure and how will the critical aspects involved impact the
outcome?
You would be
amazed at how many decisions for doing something new or different are made
every day by millions of people who lack an exit strategy in the event things
don’t turn out as they planned or hoped.
Before I
share a few insights let me share that during my life and career I can’t tell
you how many things went wrong or ended badly - whether a new enterprise, a new
product, a new marketing approach, starting a new relationship (business or
personal) or as simple as on a few occasions just buying a new product. Been there?
If not I’ll bet you are either in denial or you are just sitting safely
in front of your TV day after day.
What is an exit strategy?
Some people
might refer to an exit strategy as a Plan B or even C but I’m not referring
here to approaches that keep you involved in the same journey or direction but
of letting go of the plan or strategy completely and moving on.
Yes,
sometimes all that is needed to make something work is a new approach or change
in some of the details but in the end consider the possibility that the plan is
not working because it is a signal that it is time to let it go and move on to
something else or new.
An effective
exit strategy should be in place as a part of the original plan that have
benchmarks in place that tell you if they are not being met you have two
options – change the plan or end it.
Ending it is never easy especially if you have your ego vested in it
from the beginning and this is far too common when people can’t let go when
it’s obvious they should.
Please keep
in mind I’m not giving you permission to quit or move on too soon without
adequate effort, commitment, resources having been invested but there are times
when it is time to let go. I’m also not
suggesting that you shouldn’t start something new that you are not sure will
end as planned – but that there are times when throwing more money, time,
resources or people at an initiative is naive or just plain stupid. So how do you know whether or when you should
keep on keeping on or pull the plug?
It depends
on three factors –
Do you have
the continued resources to see this through to the end no matter what the
outcomes or how long it takes?
Do you have
the commitment to see it through regardless of the pain, disruption or
disappointment you are experiencing or may in the future?
Do you have
the confidence, courage and will to see it through regardless of the uncertainties
along the way?
Why do you need one?
Starting
anything without an exit strategy in place before you begin just sets you up
for frustration, stress, disappointment or anxiety assuming that your plans or
effort will achieve their desired results.
This is just plain crazy and how do I know? I’ll bet during your life, business or career
you have ended something to late or wish you had pulled the plug or maybe not
even starting it knowing what you know now.
Therein lies the problem – we can’t guarantee outcomes – we can only
plan, work and hope but in the end there are always circumstances we can’t
control. An exit strategy just gives you the timing, approach or reasons as to
when to end something. Without this I
will guarantee you will invest too much of something trying to make it work and
let’s face it – some things just don’t work.
The question ultimately is – how much and what are you willing to lose
if it doesn’t work out the way you need it to, to be ultimately a successful
enterprise, decision or action?
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