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What does victory look like if one doesn’t have a plan?

Distinguished Senior Fellow, John Plodinec, explains in his latest piece says that planning for victory without a clearly defined plan or roadmap, will make all paths look the same, and almost all will lead nowhere.

John shares a couple of insights as to how describing Victory can be used as a cornerstone of community resilience.

While Victory may not be measurable, it has to be clearly defined. Not only you as community leaders must understand what victory looks like, but its description has to be clear and understandable for everyone who cares about the community. Otherwise, it is unlikely that any progress toward it can be sustained.

Victory has to enhance the quality of life in the community – for everybody. Doing something to help one group at the expense of another will ultimately help neither. This implies that Victory needs to be thought of in a “Whole of Community” manner. Community leaders should ask, “Will the entire community be better off if we reach this destination?” If the answer is no, the community leaders need to regroup.

Above all, community leaders need to recognize that defining Victory in essence draws a roadmap for the community to follow toward its Future. It points to a common destination that sets everyone’s path toward it.