2. Do You Begin With The End In Mind?
Posted by Jaci Russo
Today the focus is on the 2nd Habit of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. Yesterday the focus was on Habit #1, Be Proactive, and today is Habit #2, Begin with the End in Mind.
Begin With the End in Mind is all about planning. The emphasis is on creating a personal mission statement so you can set long term goals for yourself based on ‘true north’ principles.
As Covey teaches, all things are created twice, the mental creation followed by the physical creation. You have to think it before you can do it - blueprint it then build it.
From a business and branding perspective, Beginning With the End in Mind, is crucial. If you don’t, then:
How do you know how to market the product?
How do you know who the consumer is?
How do you know what the message should be?
How do you know where you are going?
How do you define success?
Most importantly, how do you know when you get there?
Proctor & Gamble utilizes this theory in reality now. As this Ad Age article, P&G Taking Its Marketing Back to the Store, explains, if it doesn’t work in the store, then it’s no longer a good idea.
“It means you have to have the end in mind when you’re coming up with the marketing idea,” spokeswoman Martha Depenbrock explains. ”If it doesn’t work at the store, it’s a miss.”
Are you beginning with the end in mind? Do you have a plan for the ‘true north’ of your product? Do you know where your business is going? Otherwise, how will you know when you get there?
