Raise your hand if you have made a plan for your team’s work.
Or if you are following a plan at the moment, guiding the implementation of your project.
Now read what General Dwight Eisenhower said when he was responsible for the preparations for the D-Day invasion of Occupied France in 1944….
Remember to stay aware of the difference between PLANS and PLANNING!
The first is an Object, and is likely out of date before it was even finalized.
The second is a Process, involving all the affected parties in coming to a common view about the Goal, the Context in which you will work, and the Steps you intend to take.
Planning recognizes that the reality will never match the expectation. And so you can easily return to the Process to remind yourself of the Goal, to update the Context, and to revise the Next Steps you will take.
Success with your plans will require you to remember that the process of Planning is a more important foundation than the Plan itself!