Today, I'm going to talk about two kinds of shooting. The first, with which most of us are familiar, is shooting with projectile weapons. Projectile systems include bows and arrows, spear throwers, slings, catapults, small arms and the like. The sequence of shooting goes something like "Ready!....Aim!....FIRE!", and off goes the projectile. The second type is shooting using guided weapons. Included in this category are guided missiles of all varieties, the most popular being the Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) series. This category includes missiles with onboard guidance systems, such as cruise missiles, which are designed such that they are able to navigate their way to their designated targets. Most so-called "smart" weapons, are of this category, but not all. The sequence of shooting typically goes like "Ready!....Aim!....Fire!....Adjust!". I'd like to use this to introduce what I call the RAFA philosophy.

The RAFA philosophy is really nothing new, and is rather simple. I coined the term just a few minutes before writing this, and I used the example of the two different kinds of shooting as they are illustrations of how things tend to unfold in the world. It can be applied to people development, strategy formulation, product development, etc. Here's what I'm talking about:

Ready!....

This is obviously the preparation stage. It applies to both types of shooting. The weapons are positioned and loaded with the desired ammunition . The firers or launch platforms are given target data. In corporations, this is where initial ideas and plans regarding strategy, people development and other things germinate. Directions are given, resources allocated, budgets drawn up, and concepts formulated. Both long and short range goals have been at least partially identified. 

  

Aim!....

In this stage, the whole apparatus is being aligned so as to be able to achieve the stated goals, and it applies to both types of shooting. The goal is very much in focus at this point. For projectile weapon systems, which represent in some way the old, dogmatic, "bet-the-farm" kind of approach, systems to guide the aim range from crude iron sights to finely-crafted optical systems. For the guided weapons category, which represent in certain respects more forward-looking approaches, the aim is also assisted by a range of crude markings to fine crosshairs. The difference is that, for guided weapon systems, the distance to the target is generally much longer and some form of visual enhancement using various portions of the electromagnetic spectrum are de rigeur. Both types of shooting will engage both static and moving targets. If the targets are static, both types have about equal chances of hitting them. If the targets are moving, however, then the projectile weapon systems depend on estimating where the targets will be by the time the projectiles reach them, and adjusting their aim accordingly. This is known as "aiming off". A simple example might be that of product development, which aims to be where the market is going, and falls under this category. Once launched, it is not easy to change course because cost efficiency factors, amongst other things, make it very difficult to do so. The guided weapon systems would probably fare better where moving targets are concerned because they are inherently designed to be able to make course corrections, whether in mid-air or under water. Using the product development analogy again, these systems illustrate a willingness to invest in higher production costs for the sake of flexibility in responding to market demands.

 

Fire!...

For both projectile and guided weapon systems, this is the point of launch.

 

Adjust!

This is where guided weapon systems have the advantage over projectile weapon systems - the ability to change course in response to changing conditions. Even here, there are a further two categories. The first comprises those systems which are what is termed "command-guided". This means that an operator has to actively guide the weapon system, usually a wire-guided missile, a wire-guided torpedo or even a missile guided by television signals. In organizations, that means that someone in a senior leadership position has to spend time and resources overseeing the project or process until its completion. The second category comprises those systems that have inbuilt active guidance systems. These systems are usually an integration of navigation systems using GPS/ relief recognition and target recognition capabilities as well. There are also those that lock on to their targets with a lock-on radar, changing course with the target until detonating range. The picture that springs to mind here is having relatively junior teams in your organization that can be trusted to achieve the goals given to them in spite of changing market conditions. All they need is an initial goal explained by the intention of senior leadership. The senior leadership is then freed to do their real job - ensuring that the organization remains both relevant and profitable to all stakeholders, creating and adjusting visions and strategies, and staying in touch with people on the ground. 

 

So there you have it - the RAFA philosophy in simple terms. Be proactive and never hesitate to launch as long as you're maybe 80% ready. You don't need to be 100% ready, just be capable of adjusting as you go!