When starting to think about a planning process, it can feel like a daunting prospect for those who spend much of their time fluctuating between the strategic, tactical and operational. Even more so when we are tasked with attempting this process as a team who have multiple & competing priorities and we are considering 3 and 5-year timeframes.
I developed this simple tool in order to break the process down and optimise the blue-sky thinking potential, yet ensure the resultant plans are strategically logical and operationally achievable.
The first step is to think of all the possible activities that could be undertaken. This should include all the things you know are 100% necessary, as well as the ‘wouldn’t it be great ifs’. From this point, you break the list down into the ‘4 Ns’:
Now – these are the mission critical priorities that must take place now. Don’t confuse these simply with the urgent; it is vitally important that we remember Pareto Principle when considering these priorities and invest in the biggest bang for buck opportunities. These should be backed by data wherever possible; remember – facts are your friends.
Next – the work that is next in line often gets lumped in with the things that are too far off to properly consider. As a result of this, we can fall into the trap of not preparing for these pieces of work sufficiently and, ergo, the can is always kicked further down the road. If we do the adequate planning at this stage, the pieces of the jigsaw (usually staffing and preliminary projects) can be prioritised to ensure that these things are not indefinitely delayed.
Not Yet – this category is often composed of pieces of work that have multiple moving parts, major projects, significant fiscal investment, expertise beyond the current team, or changes that are not required to maximise immediate outcomes or profits. If it doesn’t fall into either of those, ask the question “why is this not in the ‘never’ box?”
Never – in some situations, it can be best to start to compile this category first. As Jim Collins says “your ‘don’t do’ list is more important than your ‘to do’ list”. Things that don’t notably impact outcomes, staff performance, efficiency or customer experience should usually find their way into this category pretty swiftly. These will often fall into the 80 of the 20/80 split and serve as a distraction from the things you should be doing, frustrate staff who desire to see impact, and ultimate not warrant the investment of time and resources.
N.B. if you have carried out any of these pieces of work in the past, a proper post-mortem can help to illuminate valuable lessons to mitigate the risk of poor prioritisation in future.
It is often helpful to come back to the 4 Ns the day(s) after the initial legwork has been completed. Indeed, redrafting the columns is often necessary and trying to accomplish a final plan in 1 sitting can lead to opportunities (and pitfalls) being missed.
From this point, it is possible to evaluate the emerging picture to draw up project plans that don’t overwhelm the teams and make sure leaders are fully bought into the what, why and when.
If it is helpful, I can send you the PDF of the tool in the picture I work through with clients – get in touch via the contact page.
If you are looking for someone to facilitate a workshop to engage your team(s) in a planning process that brings buy-in and clarity, send me a direct message to start the conversation.
Finally, be at peace with the reality that no matter how good your plans are, they will change to some degree. As Eisenhower said “plans are worthless but planning is everything”!