Wikipedia: "Knowledge is a collection of facts, information, and/or skills acquired through experience or education or (more generally) the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject."After sitting through my second "How to use social media for business" presentation in a week (both well done, but that's not my point), it hit me: We are trying to grab a wave.

Should strategic thinking focus on the seen and known or the unseen and unknown? That might sound like a ridiculous question.  How can you focus on something that is not there, something that you don't know about?

Much of life is anticipation.  From my vantage point I can see many things being anticipated.  Where I am, this is the spring that isn't: We are fervently awaiting warmth.  Likewise, we await some kind of positive resolution in Libya after the hurried imposition of a no-fly zone.  The Japanese people are desparately awaiting the staunching of radioactivity from their crippled nuclear reactors.  Investors are awaiting first quarter earnings reports and more signs of economic growth. Note that the examples I give of anticipation are all macro:  the weather, a war, a catastrophe, the economy.  These are things that we have little or no control over. We cannot shape them.  We can only experience them.

Do people asking for funding have a plan? Why is that even a question?

Anyone interested in strategic planning and leadership needs to keep current with trends, experience, the "cutting edge" and "what's next."   You can imagine that as a former financial/business journalist and publisher I am voracious in my consumption of business information.  I consume - off and on - The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, the business sections of my local newspapers, CNBC, Bloomberg, Market Place, all sorts of web sites, trade publications and more.

A elegant strategy is one that fits. That falls into place. That works with style and ease.

On the road to wherever you might be going, isn't it often the case you get distracted or pulled in a new direction and turn off, stop, veer away, wind up not where you were headed? Sometimes this is serendipity, the new direction or destination much more interesting and positive.  But so often the change of course or pace results in a lack of progress or achievement.  In this wired, social media, ad-driven, sensory age we have so many things pulling at us, infiltrating our consciousness, diverting and distracting us.  Something of these intrusions are actual opportunities, but for the very greatest part they are not.