The importance of mission coherence

Having mission coherence is vital to effectively carrying out a plan. This was demonstrated by the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940.  

With the Allied forces penned in by German advances, the situation seemed dire. Britain would lose its army, providing the Nazi cause with the tangible vision of victory. The Allied troops would have to be evacuated by sea.

A number of naval ships would be needed, but to overcommit seemed foolhardy considering the threat posed by the Luftwaffe. Therefore, hundreds of civilian boats were recruited to the mission, an enormous departure from anything that could have been conceived outside of this pressured situation.

Around 198,000 British troops and a further 140,000 French and Belgian troops were successful evacuated, a number far beyond anticipated.

The mission coherence needed to achieve this included both a structured tactical plan, but also the flexibility to adapt to the changing situation.

Do you strategise effectively for the future? Are you clear on the direction you are moving in and the goal you wish to reach? If needed, could your business plans pivot and evolve to meet change?