Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.

Planning is toted as one of the most important things that Teams and Managers do and I still see many people who really suck at it! Why?

Because they are poorly constructed and STOP at Goal Setting. Usually something like this is what constitutes for a plan.

• Innovate 3 new products by the end of the 3rd quarter.
• or Reduce scrap by 10%
• or Increase retention of staff by 6% in 18 months
• or Shorten customer wait times
• etc… you get my point fill in whatever lost Goal you have had for the plan.

Everyone nods their heads and agrees the plan makes total sense, then NOTHING! Or you spend time talking about the Goal and some ideas of how to achieve it. NOTHING HAPPENS…and you the manager, wonders why no progress was made.

As the deadline looms for the “Plan” to be accomplished because hopefully someone is held accountable by their manager for this goal a crazy rush to Get-Er-Done happens!

Typically resulting in;

• Project Comes in Over Budget – Because of inadequate planning and now everyone is scrambling like their ass-is-on-fire and creating emergencies in other departments and with vendors. Because NO-ONE Planned!
• Completion Times Need to be Continually Extended – Because of inadequate planning and Management Oversight NOTHING got done…Because NO-ONE Planned!
• If the project gets completed The Quality and Results SUCK! – Because of inadequate planning, panic from being over budget, and the need to hurry up because the completion date has been extended too many times – the results are poor…Because NO-ONE Planned!

I trust you are nodding your head and thinking about your work…You have seen this I have been a part of this. As a beginning Manager my planning was horrible. Then I was coached and received the requisite Skilled Knowledge to Create Plans, Manage, Delegate and have the Authority to hold staff and myself accountable for completion of these plans.

Here are some solutions;

• Planning Nothing Magical Just Your Work
• Complexity and Achieving Goals at Work
• 6 Planning Steps for Delegation of Tasks
• Reverse Peter Principle
• Planning A change
• What is the incentive for change?
• Large Group Corporate TeamBuilding: Case Study

You MUST plan for the work you are accountable to complete. Team work relies on the individuals on the team doing their best work. Sometimes people slack off and miss deadlines – this why You must have your plan ready. So when others succeed or fail and that will happen you can have confidence knowing that at your level of work, in the role you fill – You did all you can. At the end of the day all you can be expected to do is your best; Your best requires a plan.

_image by JD Hancock