Planning Like A Pro

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" - Mary Oliver

This quote stopped me in my tracks.

As many of you will know, I am someone who embraces life. However, I'm not sure I'm always conscious of it being a "wild and precious life".

I certainly don't make plans as if my life depended on them. But maybe I should?

What Gets Planned, Typically Gets Done

I've emphasised "typically" because, as we discussed last time, sometimes we put too much emphasis on planning and not enough on doing. See my blog on Overthinking for more on that topic.

Apart from that, this is a relative truism. We need a plan for most activities, projects or visions if we are to achieve them. The process of breaking down something into its constituent parts enables us to do so many things. Here's a few:

• Avoid overwhelm - the whole project or goal can look incredibly daunting and paralyse progress
• Clarify scope - the plan will identify everything that needs to be done (and also that which is outside of scope)
• Provide a story - being able to see how everything will come together is compelling for anyone with a vested interest
• Recognise the risks - a bit of forethought can often limit the possibility of the whole thing being derailed.

The list is actually much longer than this, but even this micro list should provide you with a great incentive to sit down and make a plan.

Planning Like A Pro

The process of planning like a pro is relatively straightforward and will be familiar to anyone who has ever attended a project management programme or been involved in major home improvements!

• Start with the end in mind - what's the target end date?
• Break it down - what are the key milestones along the way?
• Risky business - what could get in the way of success?
• Plan B - What's the plan if Plan A doesn't work?
• Just do it - what's the very first step?

So far, so good. However, a real Pro knows there is still something missing from this plan.

It really doesn't matter how good the plan is technically, or how capable you are of delivering the whole thing if your heart is not in it.

And if it's a big plan with lots of people involved, the potential for delays, and even outright obstruction are massive.

This is why the process of Engagement is so important. People need to feel important, like their voice counts. They want to feel the project is theirs, not yours.

One way to ensure that is to do the planning with others. Don't lock yourself away in a darkened room and emerge with a perfect plan. You will soon discover it is perfect in only one person's eyes.

Even if the plan is to do something with one other person, do your best to make it a joint plan. One which you can both put your hearts into!

For more on this topic, take a quick look at this week's video and let me know what resonates with you most.

 And if you'd like to be part of a group of people constantly growing and supporting each other to make a difference, check out The TCM Community - still only £1 trial subscrption.