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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does planning take so much time?
There are many reasons why companies feel planning takes too much time and results in very little progress towards their end goals. 1) Is the vision clear, or the goals well-defined? If not, planning discussions can spiral into brainstorming sessions as participants struggle to understand the plan. 2) Another issue could be that while the vision and goals are clear, they are lofty and broad. Teams struggle to find a place to start. Try a narrower focus to make progress in creating a workable plan. 3) Don’t put off planning. Thinking and dreading the process makes it seem like you are putting more time into it than you are. THE BOTTOM LINE: Set a goal for what to plan, how much time to spend, and stop procrastinating.
Can you plan just enough to get started even though you haven’t addressed everything you want to accomplish?
The answer is without a doubt – YES! But don’t stop planning until you have a complete plan for all you want to accomplish. ‘Just-in-time’ manufacturing was introduced by Toyota in the 1970s to prevent over-production, reduce upfront spending, decrease product defects, deliver as needed, and other advantages. You can apply the same principals to what you are planning. Today’s AGILE methodology lends itself well to ‘just-in-time’ planning, but you can do it with whatever process you are using. Do this by prioritizing projects, setting small, achievable goals to build upon, and regularly revisiting your vision and goals.
What methodology is best when you aren’t an expert at planning?
The best methodology is determined after you have developed a strategic plan and, in conjunction with the teams helping deliver your vision and end goals. Every methodology comes with a specific framework to follow. Many people believe that Waterfall, a linear approach, works best for people not familiar with planning. It allows you to plan by setting a starting point and then continue with the answer to, “What comes next?” until you reach the final goal. Agile and Scrum are great choices if you want to list everything you think you want to happen, in no specific order, until you have exhausted all items needed to reach your goal. Then you take the list, prioritize it, and schedule it. As you prioritize the list, you may find you need to add additional items to the list. Explore all options or contact me to help you find the right methodology to suit your needs.
How do you quantify and define your end goals?
Create a strategic plan! Ask yourself a series of questions:
1) Where are you now? What is your current situation? And how did you get here?
2) Where do you want to go from here?
3) How do you move from the current state to where you want to be in the future?
4) What obstacles or problems need to be overcome to get you to your desired goals?
5) Who, what, when, where, and how do you achieve your strategic objectives?
1) Where are you now? What is your current situation? And how did you get here?
2) Where do you want to go from here?
3) How do you move from the current state to where you want to be in the future?
4) What obstacles or problems need to be overcome to get you to your desired goals?
5) Who, what, when, where, and how do you achieve your strategic objectives?
“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.”