Planning. Linking to Strategy. Delivering.

 

I haven't been interviewed in a podcast before, so I found this unscripted piece to be an interesting experience, one I might do again. You have to think on your feet, interpret the questions, draw on your experience, and try not to stumble over your words. Very challenging!

As the well known saying goes: "When you fail to plan, you plan to fail!". This may seem to be in juxtaposition with the Eisenhower saying "The plan is nothing; Planning is everything!" (both quotes paraphrased), but not when you give it a little thought.

Not having a plan will always be a disaster. Expecting that the plan you create will never change is also inviting calamity. And creating a plan without the collaboration of those who commissioned the project and those who will deliver it is also guaranteed to make your project end (if it ever does and is not cancelled) in a bad space. This is the "Planning is everything" part.

So what sort of planning should you do?

Those of us from the old school often like to take a predictive approach, while those of us from the "new" school may prefer an adaptive approach. Although, as a good friend of mine recently pointed out, "Agile has been around so long now, one probably has to consider it old school!". And that is food for thought. 

Using the right tool for the job, or as Scott Ambler or Mark Lines might say per Disciplined Agile, finding your WoW (Way of Working) is what is important. 

But in the end, whether you deliver using predictive, adaptive, or something in between, the important thing to remember is that what you are delivering has to fit into the organization's strategic DNA. Hopefully in your organization projects that land at your feet do so because the executive team has decided on the portfolio of programs and projects and authorized only those to move forward, heading rogue projects off at the pass.

I hope you enjoy this seat of my pants podcast with Trina L. Martin in her podcast entitled "Trina Talk". 

https://trinalmartin.com/podcast/trinatalk-episode140/