Years ago I was reading an article in some business or entrepreneurship magazine about companies which had a 500 year plan, and the idea intrigued me. So I started to create my own plan. I didn’t get very far, just putting a skeleton of a plan in place. Today I dusted off the Microsoft Word 2007 Beta document and opened it in the non-beta version of Word 2007 for the first time. It was a good shot in the arm, reminding me of why I am where I am today and where I am going.

Like I mentioned in my last post, sometimes it is so easy to get lost in the tasks and doing of it all, and forget the vision and why of it all. And when you forget the vision and the why, it all feels like a burden.

But why a 500 Year Plan, and not a 100 year or even a 50 year plan? One thing that a 500 year plan does is force you to think of the legacy that you will leave behind. People are starting to live into their 100’s, and companies & organizations can exist perpetually, way beyond the founder’s death. It really forces you to examine what will truly be left behind after you are gone. And then there is something interesting that they found when studying these companies with a 500 year plan. What they thought would take 500 years, often only took 100 or 150 years, not 500. We do tend to overestimate what we can do in short time frames, but underestimate what we can accomplish in longer time frames. And that is definitely true in this case.

So I thought that perhaps I should build a 500 year plan for myself, centered around a certain vision and principles that I stand for. It is this vision and principles that define who I am, and it is this vision and principles that motivate me. Plus there is the practical part about having one document to refer to when I need to get aligned with my vision and principles again. And it will definitely require Scott 2.0 to implement the plan.

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For the past several months I have been dominated by my ever growing task list. And since I don’t like being dominated, I naturally procrastinate to avoid the domination. But the problem is not the task list itself. The problem is that I have forgotten my vision. I have forgotten why the task list is there in the first place. And without the vision, then their is no drive and desire to accomplish anything.

Unlike most people, money does not motivate me. Sure I like money and want more money, but getting money for money’s sake does not excite nor motivate me. Why? Because money is nothing but a tool, a form of energy, that can be used for good or for harm. I am more interested in what can be done with the money, than the money itself. And perhaps that makes me different than some out there.

Today I get myself realigned with why the task list is there. Today I remember what it is all about.

I opened up a document that I created almost exactly 2 years ago, entitled Read More

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How to Take Discover Network and Pulse Global with the Diners Club Acquisition.

Welcome to another edition of “If I Were CEO” where I reveal what my strategies would be if I were CEO of other companies.

Today’s issue deals with the acquisition of the Diners Club network by Discover Network, and their intent to combine the two networks over the next 2-3 years. The acquisition is both a coup and something that makes perfect sense at the same time. It’s a game changer for Discover Network, who is going from a regional network trailing behind rivals Visa, MasterCard and American Express in their primary region, the United States, to a global player with a presence in over 200 countries with one of the most internationally respected trade names: Diners Club International.

As I mentioned in another article, the reason why it makes perfect sense is because Citi really did not appear to be that interested in operating a network (after all, they disbanded the Diners Club network in the U.S. and Canada), and Discover Network desperately needed international acceptance to compete with its major rivals.

So what is next?

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There has been a lot of coverage of Discover’s acquisition of the Diners Club Network from Citi, and some people may have a lot of questions about what that means.

Like all the articles pointed out, Discover is only purchasing the Diners Club Network, which means Citi will continue to issue Diners Club cards both here and abroad (Citi issues cards in a variety of countries, not just the U.S.).

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