General Patton once said, “a good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week”.

But he didn't say don't plan....

A good plan coupled with organisation increases certainty so why is it sometimes avoided?

Imagine a world where things are delivered on time, at the cost expected and with the result expected!

Things will go wrong but with a plan, there is likely to be less impact.

There are barriers to planning

• We are Drawn to Activity - People generally like to do, very often just picking up the next hot topic.
• It's Difficult - A good plan can be difficult to slot together, it takes thought, reflection and decisions about what not to do!
• There is No Long Term View - Plans are not able to exist in a vacuum. There needs to be a long term view.
• You Might be Measured by it - We are hard wired to avoid risk, you need to win the internal battle to be held accountable - even if only by yourself!

There are advantages to planning

• It Works - The brain processes information differently when writing . This brings clarity and certainty, both things are needed to deliver.
• It Confirms Direction Fits Strategy - The definition of waste is burning effort on something that does not support the end game.
• Coordination and Communication - A well written plan is essential for coordination of large teams and for outwards communication to keep aligned.
• You Know When You Are Off Track - The best reason to have a plan is you know when you are not delivering to it and can make early and easy adjustments.

There are Principles to planning

• Plan Only As Far As You Can See - Things become more uncertain the further they are in the future. Use days, weeks, months and quarter time blocks.
• Slow Trigger Fast Bullet - It is worth taking the time to do it properly. This avoids wasted activity and highlights risks.
• Plan in Layers - Use Phases, Activities and Tasks to structure complex plans and determine dependent activities.
• Use Detail, Don't Try to Be Perfect - Detail will highlight dependencies that are not obvious but don't be obsessive, the future is revealed by taking action.

Agile and Planning

• Activity Brings Clarity - An exclusively top down approach pretends everything can be defined. Incremental methods bring clarity by taking action.
• Undirected Activity - Is wasteful, money and time are always finite and reliability is valued in a large complex organisation.
• Use a Blend - Be creative, blending delivery methods and using the best ideas often brings significant advantages.
• Context is Everything - Fit the delivery methodology to the compnay not the other way around. Being evangelical about a method is not always the best for real business change.