General Patton – Director of Marketing

“A good plan executed today is better than a perfect plan executed at some

indefinite point in the future.”  General George Patton

In addition to being a decent military man, General George S. Patton would have been a fantastic Director of Marketing. For all of his faults, Patton was inarguably a man of action.

Patton was prepared. He would not have considered going into a battle, much less a war, without objectives, strategies and tactics. In other words, he always had a plan.

He believed fervently that his troops had to be disciplined and well-trained. He would not send them out into the field without knowing precisely what their role was.

He was intelligent and extremely well read, but Patton did not over-research a plan. With the General, there was never analysis paralysis. He knew that to reach an objective, he and his troops had to go on the offensive. He had to provide the strategy, and then the tactics would be implemented for victory.

The biggest hesitation I hear from clients is that they don’t want to invest in a plan because things could change and the plan would be obsolete.

News flash – things always change. There is not one day in your life that goes exactly according to plan.  Patton knew that every battle changed once the shells started flying.

A plan is a road map. If there’s construction, you figure out a detour. That does not mean the map has no value.

In fact, change is the reason the plan is so valuable. Without it, you would be lost.

Patton refused to lose. He always had a plan.

If you would like to discuss strategic marketing planning, please drop me a note at jhenke@henkeinc.com.

Thanks.