We have spent a lot of time so far in reviewing the major elements of next level associations allowing the optimistic, creative side of associations, their leadership and their members to rule. However, this does not mean that these extraordinary associations are not meticulous planners. While the proper next level mindset should certainly be focused on growth and revenues, planning makes moving forward with flexibility possible. There is a famous movie line from “The Hunt for Red October” that highlights the Soviet Union at the high of their power that says the Russians “don’t take a dump without a plan.” While I admit in advance that this is an overly crude example, it underscores the point that any significant project probably has an increased chance for success with a good plan of action.

It is certainly true that having a plan helps you know where you are going and serves as a basis for knowing if you have arrived. But please don’t forget to add the “well thought-out” part. That is where most plans fail. Just having a plan is not enough. You must actually spend some time making it a good plan. Next level associations conduct in-depth research and analysis and ask the right questions to determine if their plan is the best it can be.

You must also realize that you might actually want to look at your plan every once in awhile to see if you are really accomplishing it. That is another area where next level associations are cutting edge. For the most part, they understand why their plans are succeeding. And in most cases, the have great analytical systems in place to know exactly how.

The results of this careful planning and careful measurement can be very impressive and misleading at the same time. It is impressive in that it looks easy to the casual observer. However, once you know the in-depth research and analysis, careful planning and review that went into their actions, you realize that there was really nothing easy about it. Their success resulted from a plan that was well studied and that they knew had an excellent chance for success before it was even started. Many military strategists have argued over the centuries that the proper battle plan is to take all factors for success into account so that the battle is won long before it is ever fought. Next level associations understand this fact and use it to their advantage every day.