Whoever said that “a failure to plan is a plan to fail” didn’t understand planning. Unless mentally impaired, no one actually plans to fail; what really happens is they fail to take into consideration the one element that kills the chances of any plan succeeding—emotion.

Logic makes people think while it’s emotion that makes them act. All variations of planning, be they strategic plans, project plans, or broader business plans are exercises in logic. Done right, they make perfect sense, and then are deployed by imperfect beings. Good planning always fails when the emotions of leaders and staff prompt them to act based upon those emotions, even when that’s contrary to the plan. For example, how many times has there been a plan to do better at holding people accountable, even firing them faster when warranted. Yet, the emotions that come up when faced with this reality hamper, delay, or even justify why these best laid plans are not followed.

The fourth quarter is the most common time that staffing firms, recruitment agencies, and business of all kinds engage in the yearly strategic planning exercise. This year, account for and include in the plan the fact that emotions are going to come into play many times in the coming year. The joy that you experience, as a result of adequately addressing this element in your planning, will have you experiencing joyful results that will, in no way, hamper any of your plans.