There is an old saying the “Hope is not a strategy.” It has been attributed to many people who have used statements like it to emphasize that planning and action are critical parts of achieving the desired outcome. As discussed in previous weekly newsletters, planning and then taking proper action are crucial to achieving the goal or best results. But where does “Hope” fit into the success or best outcome?
One definition from The American Heritage Dictionary is:
- To wish for a particular event that one considers possible.
- To have confidence; trust.
- To desire and consider possible: synonym: expect.
When we incorporate these ideas into achieving the best success for our business, we can see that “Hope” has its place in the planning and action that leads to the results we are striving for. It is true that “Hope” all by itself will never directly contribute to the end results. You unfortunately can’t just hope for something to be an outcome or result.
Again, where does “Hope” fit into the day-to-day operations of a business?
Without “Hope”, we have no target or expectations of what success or achievement might be or what it is when we achieve it. Hope engenders a level of endurance that keeps us pushing forward when the plans and actions we have taken are sidetracked or need revision. Hope is the lubricant that allows for work in progress to slide around but never lose its targeted endpoint.
Tightly coupled with “Hope” is “Faith.” We hope for a particular outcome and then have faith that the necessary resources will materialize and contribute to their success. As an example, Danny Thomas founded St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital on a lot of Hope and plenty of Faith. The story goes that Thomas prayed to St. Jude, the Patron Saint of Hopeless Causes, as he was a struggling actor/comedian looking for work and struggling to support his family. Shortly after his hope was restored, he found work, and in 1962, the medical center was opened. He had a plan, he took action, but still required “Hope” to provide the endurance to see it through.
Most of us will not have a similar experience to Danny Thomas, but we can still have “Hope” each and every day to grease the challenges we experience, and then we take the best and most appropriate action to see them through.
This week, as you continue to work on your business rather than just in the business, pause and observe where hope is playing a part in your success. Perhaps you have pushed hope aside and taken all the burden upon yourself, thinking you can control everything. Maybe this week you can give hope a part in your success. It does not replace strategy, tactics, and planning, or action, but it is key to achieving your best results for you and your organization. Spread a little “Hope” this week.
Needing to put some “Hope” back into your business? Give JKL Associates Promise Guide a call to just have a chat about what “hope” could mean for your future. Contact us at MI (313) 527-7945 or FL (407) 984-7246.
Journey On!
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Celebrating 30 years of Delivering on “Promises”
