The Plan - why preparing is needed & valuable

Planning is good; preparation is better… and establishes resilience

If you have ever been involved in developing a plan and experiencing its subsequent failure, think back… how much preparation went into the plan? Often a lack of preparation leads to a lack of readiness and an inability to be responsive and adapt.

Planning is important and leads to a heightened awareness of what needs to be done. Co-creating a plan and making it visible creates transparency and accessibility to all involved and increases the chances of dialogue for the preparation of several options within the plan. These options are creative variations that allow for swift adaptation.

Preparation does more than anticipate what you already expect, it enables a readiness for you to handle what you didn’t see coming, it enables you to respond to emerging changes in an agile way and recognise the emerging chances. If you are well prepared it becomes easier to ‘let go of the plan’.

Tips & Benefits of Preparation :

→ Take the time to save time: you may feel that you do not have sufficient time to prepare in advance. Yet preparation actually saves you time. It reduces errors, shortens task time, and prevents re-work or work-around. Well prepared meetings take far less time to conduct.

→ Do the (pre)work: preparation is about actually doing the work in advance. Review the data, familiarize yourself with the materials and content. Practice the skill or activity. It’s all about being ready.

→ Prepare well in advance: the more in advance you prepare, the more time you have to course correct or rectify any unforeseen circumstances.

→ Make preparation an intentional practice: prepare as part of your daily lifestyle. Don’t only prepare, once in a while.

→ Reduces stress: When you are prepared you are able to relax and enjoy, feeling confident even when faced with unexpected changes along the way. The worry and uncertainty is reduced in moments of unpredictable change and you are able to more effectively focus on the task at hand.

How does it feel to ‘let go of the plan’ when solid preparation has been done?

~written by Michèle Twomey for We Do Change