Hope is useful in a lot of situations. It gives us a chance to believe that things will turn out at the last minute. It allows us to believe that things are not as bad as they appear. Hope is a foundation for many to get through today and keep going for tomorrow.
Hope is not a valid belief in management strategies.
If you lead people and “hoping something turns out” is part of your approach at any point in time, you have failed. Managers who put their fate in others hands and do not try to lead towards the right outcome are not worth staying as managers. Hope is the opposite of planning. Yes, they can go together but Hope without a Plan is really, really bad.
As a manager build your plans. Execute to your plan. Incorporate as many variables as is feasible into your plan. Communicate your plan. Train people on what they need to do within the plan. Don’t leave any of these pieces to “hoping it works out.”
Lead. Manage. Don’t hope.
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