We’ve all been there. You spend weeks meticulously crafting a detailed plan, complete with timelines, milestones, and every conceivable contingency. It’s a comprehensive document, a testament to your planning prowess. But then, reality hits. Things change. Unexpected challenges arise. And suddenly, that carefully laid-out plan feels more like a straightjacket than a guide.
This is a common pitfall. We often get so caught up in the act of planning – the spreadsheets, the Gantt charts, the endless meetings – that we lose sight of the bigger picture. We treat the plan as an end in itself, rather than a means to an end. This can lead to a rigid approach that fails to adapt to changing circumstances, rendering the plan ineffective.
But what if I told you that the most critical part of any plan isn’t the plan itself, but the ‘why’ behind it? Understanding the ‘why’ empowers you, giving you a sense of control and confidence in your planning process.
Understanding the “Why”
Before you dive into the nitty-gritty of timelines and deliverables, take a step back. Ask yourself:
What are we trying to achieve with this plan?
- Is it to inform stakeholders and enable governance, providing transparency and ensuring alignment with broader organisational objectives?
- Is it to coordinate delivery teams, ensuring no gaps and that dependencies are managed and driving smooth execution?
- Is it to enable a team to align and collaborate, fostering a shared understanding of goals and responsibilities?
- Is it to help a leader and contributor achieve personal development goals, outlining clear objectives and action steps for growth?
- Is it for a coach to provide a structured approach to achieving growth outcomes for the coachee, outlining a clear framework for development and progress tracking?
What does success look like?
- How will we know if we’ve achieved our goals?
- What key metrics will we track?
What are the potential roadblocks?
- What could go wrong?
- How can we minimise these risks?
By clearly defining your plan’s purpose and desired outcomes, which are rooted in the ‘why ‘, you create a strong foundation for success. You’re not just creating a document; you’re setting a direction.
Plans: More Than Just a Document
It’s easy to fall into the trap of treating a plan as an isolated document, a static blueprint to be followed religiously. However, effective plans are more than just a collection of tasks and deadlines. They exist within a broader context, interconnected with other crucial elements that drive outcomes. A plan should be viewed as a dynamic tool that guides actions and decisions.
Think of a plan as a single piece of a complex puzzle. It must fit seamlessly with other key pieces to create a complete picture. These interconnected elements might include:
- Strategic Objectives: Your plan must align with your team or organisation’s overall strategic direction. Displaying when these objectives are achieved in your plan provides an easily accessible link between your actions and the overall goal.
- Detailed plans: It is essential to communicate and coordinate areas such as delivery planning, resourcing, communications, change management, and risks. High-level plans should be created with a common language and touchpoints so that, where required, you can dive deeply into the details while also communicating the big picture.
- Audience-specific plans: Not every audience is the same. You may need to create different versions of your plans to address specific interest groups. Ideally, these are filtered or summarised versions of your detailed plans that provide timely, accurate, and relevant information pitched to drive the appropriate level of engagement with your audience.
By considering these interconnected elements, you can create a more robust and effective plan that drives meaningful outcomes.
Plans as Living Documents
The best plans are flexible. They’re not rigid blueprints meant to be rigidly adhered to. Instead, they’re living documents that evolve and adapt as circumstances change.
- Embrace the Unexpected: Things rarely go exactly as planned. Be prepared to adjust your course, pivot when needed, and learn from setbacks.
- Encourage Feedback: Regularly seek feedback from your team and stakeholders. Are you on track? Are there any unforeseen challenges? Are there opportunities to improve the plan?
- Use Data to Guide Decisions: Track progress, analyse data, and use insights to inform your next steps. Are you making progress towards your goals? If not, what adjustments need to be made?
The Dangers of “Plan-itis”
It’s easy to get caught up in the planning process itself. We can spend so much time analysing and re-analysing the plan that we never actually get around to executing it. This is what I call “plan-itis”.
- Analysis Paralysis: Spending excessive time analysing and re-analysing the plan can lead to inaction.
- Resistance to Change: Overreliance on the original plan can make adapting to new information and changing circumstances difficult.
In Conclusion – Focus on the Outcome
Ultimately, the success of any plan should be measured by its ability to deliver the desired outcomes. Remember, the plan is a tool, a guide, a framework – not an end in itself.
I often ask myself, “What am I trying to achieve?” and “Who is my audience?” when creating and sharing this plan.
So, the next time you find yourself deep in the weeds of a planning exercise, take a moment to step back. Ask yourself: “Why are we doing this? What are we trying to achieve?”
By firmly considering the “why,” you’ll be better equipped to create effective plans that deliver real results.
Its Just Good Management 