Whether it was the A-Team, or Mission Impossible, the show always began with a mission that involved overcoming great odds with tools and talents that seemed inferior to the task. In both television shows, the teams had to decide whether they would accept the mission. After reviewing the desired outcome of the mission, the intelligence that had been gathered, and the challenges involved, the team had to develop a plan to carry out the mission. While the excitement may be in carrying out the plan, it is the discipline of planning that determines the success or failure of the mission. Generally, well-done means well-planned.
Planning has not been one of my greatest strengths, but I am learning that my weaknesses can keep me from fully using my strengths. Planning always involves an assessment of strengths and weaknesses. Knowing your strengths, and the strengths of others on your team, helps you to know where and how you will gain the most ground towards accomplishing your mission. Knowing your weaknesses, and the weaknesses of those on your team, will help you to know where you or your team can be weakened, and what can keep you from operating fully in your areas of strength. Sometimes we focus so much on our strengths that we forget to cover or strengthen the areas we are weak.
Sometimes our success is limited by our tendency to rely on our strengths and not the strength of a team. If you combine your strengths with the strengths of others, the combined strength is much greater than you could possibly have alone. The weaknesses of one person are covered by the strengths of another. The plan that maximizes the strengths of the individuals and the group will accomplish impossible missions. When that plan comes together, success is inevitable.