By Clare Price How do we plan in a time of complete turmoil and uncertainty? That's the question most of us are asking in this year of unprecedented change. One thing we know won't work is pulling out last year's plan and updating it. So, what will?

For my team, the secret ingredient for 2021 growth planning is Blue Sky Thinking.

What? That's crazy, right? We need to focus on basic recovery and crisis management, don't we?

Of course. Shoring up your defenses is needed for business continuation. But it won't get you to what's next. Blue Sky Thinking will. Blue Sky Thinking is that attitude of optimism that looks into the universe and sees endless possibilities.

The "What if? Why not? Can we? Will we?" questions that drive Blue Sky Thinking can boost creativity and energy for you as the business owner and leader as well as for your entire team. Now is the time to consider wild and crazy ideas that just might open the door to your next big marketing campaign or new product development.

Optimism! Like laughter, optimism delivers real health benefits that strengthen teams and bottom lines. Your team needs the confidence right now to look beyond the rain and see the rainbow.

Here are seven steps for engaging in Blue Sky Thinking for your 2021 growth planning.

1. Review the fundamentals: your core strengths; your solid and enduring successes; your team; your resources and capabilities.
2. Don't focus too much on COVID impacts. Focusing on COVID will limit your thinking and likely cause you to miss emerging opportunities. Also, too much is unknown to make predictions about the full impacts meaningful. Instead, use the successes and failures of the past six months as guardrails to future expectations.
3. Look at COVID as an opportunity that you didn't see coming six months ago. Evaluate the changes that have happened in your industry. What's needed now that wasn't before? How can your business serve that need?
4. Create a flexible framework rather than a specific action plan for 2021. A framework allows you to adjust your plan within your capabilities and resources and to pivot when necessary.
5. Reevaluate your mission statement. Your business has changed this year. Does your mission statement reflect where you are going? Re-crafting your mission statement with an eye toward where you are going next will infuse energy and enthusiasm into your 2021 plan.
6. Consider the big leap. What if you could enter a new market? Completely redesign your product line? Buy out a competitor? What would it take? How would you do it?
7. Enlarge your world view and include (DEI) diversity, equity, and inclusion steps in your planning efforts. What business practices changes do you need to make to better include people of all ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, religious affiliations, abilities, and ages in your product development, hiring and business operations?

If you need help facilitating a Blue Sky Thinking session for your team, contact me here.