Something important that I think is often missed.

[Rob Ellis]

There are a series of steps that I think many miss when planning or preparing for a production.
Really this is so broadly applicable that I thought I would just cut and paste this from Seth Godin's blog here.
Many of us don't have any idea there is a formula to this and I feel I have been the source of too many ideas here so I thought I would start sharing from other sources.

The hierarchy of success

I think it looks like this:

1. Attitude
2. Approach
3. Goals
4. Strategy
5. Tactics
6. Execution

We spend all our time on execution. Use this word instead of that one. This web host. That color. This material or that frequency of mailing.

Big news: No one ever succeeded because of execution tactics learned from a Dummies book.

Tactics tell you what to execute. They're important, but dwarfed by strategy. Strategy determines which tactics might work.

But what's the point of a strategy if your goals aren't clear, or contradict?

Which leads the first two, the two we almost never hear about.

Approach determines how you look at the project (or your career). Do you read a lot of books? Ask a lot of questions? Use science and testing or go with your hunches? Are you imperious? A lifehacker? When was the last time you admitted an error and made a dramatic course correction? Most everyone has a style, and if you pick the wrong one, then all the strategy, tactics and execution in the world won't work nearly as well.

As far as I'm concerned, the most important of all, the top of the hierarchy is attitude. Why are you doing this at all? What's your bias in dealing with people and problems?

Some more questions:

* How do you deal with failure?
* When will you quit?
* How do you treat competitors?
* What personality are you looking for in the people you hire?
* What's it like to work for you? Why? Is that a deliberate choice?
* What sort of decisions do you make when no one is looking?

Sure, you can start at the bottom by focusing on execution and credentials. Reading a typical blog (or going to a typical school for 16 years), it seems like that's what you're supposed to do. What a waste.

Isn't it odd that these six questions are so important and yet we almost never talk or write about them?

If the top of the hierarchy is messed up, no amount of brilliant tactics or execution is going to help you at all.

[Gabrielle Lisa Cinelli]

I like this......there were some really interesting points made, especially about the top of the hierarchy, and getting that straight first. I used to believe in failure. But then I spent a lot of time with children, and realized I could look at life from so many different perspectives.......a child learning to walk might fall a thousand times....but a mother and father's eyes only see the moments of success when the child really takes steps....yeah!!!! Then I looked around at how people treat each other and thought why should we treat each other any different as adults.....thanks for the inspiration.