It is Friday evening around 8 o’clock. There are five girls in the car and we are lost. Again. Not only don’t we know where we are going but we have no idea where we ARE. The plan was for us to follow a car. The problem is the driver of this car doesn’t know the unwritten rules of being followed. He obviously thought that he was being chased by the police or the mob, so he made sure that he dodged us.

He got a green light and we got the red light. Any considerate driver would have stopped and waited but this driver thought we had built in night vision and could see him 3km away on a busy highway. We gave him a call but because we couldn’t explain to him where we were, he really couldn’t give us any helpful information.

Eventually we asked for direction from strangers (we are girls, we are not afraid to ask!). The first guy said the place we are looking for is on the other side. Now you tell me, what does ‘on the other side’ mean? The second guy (as intoxicated as he was) gave us the best directions ever. He explained so clearly that we could visualise every traffic light, gas station and distinct building as if we had seen it in broad daylight before. Needless to say, we found the venue without hassles.

If you want to achieve your companies strategic goals, assess where you are at present. Have you ever tried to read a road map without knowing your current location? So why would you think it is OK to do it in business? If you are following a supervisor or manager to reach your unit/business goals, ensure that you have a clear understanding of how you are going to get there, what to expect on your way there, and what is expected from you, BEFORE you embark on your journey.

If you are a manager or business owner my advice to you is: ensure that those who follow you have you in sight at all times. Do not make assumptions. Check in to see if you are still on the same page as they are.

By Jeanne Fredericks