CHAPTER 5: RESPONSIVE PLANNING

Why every upfront plan fails

Reality is every plan’s worst enemy. Plans represent a snapshot in time, an approximation of what might occur based on the information known at the time the plan was developed. At best, plans are reasonable estimates of required activities, resources, costs and time based on previous experience with similar work. At worst, they represent educated guesswork of what may be required in order to achieve the desired outcome.

Organizations develop business plans, project plans, financial plans, marketing plans – all designed to provide managers and executives with a sense of control over the future. The problem, of course, is that the corporate world is constantly in a state of change. People ...

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