A Plan is a Basis for Change
Why good plans do more than predict the future
We often talk about plans as if they're just predictions: "Here's what we're going to do." And yes, trying to predict what will happen is part of planning - we need that prediction as a starting point. But the best plans go beyond prediction to become powerful tools for managing change effectively. One of my first managers used to say “A Plan is a Basis For Change” and making that mindset shift permanently changed how I thought about plans and planning. Making that leap will revolutionise the value you bring for planning and delivery.
The Real Purpose of Planning
Think about what actually happens when something changes in your project - say a key team member gets ill, a critical dependency slips, a new requirement emerges, or something turns out to be much easier than expected and you’ve got some folks twiddling their thumbs.
Without a way to evaluate what options and impacts there are, these changes require intense thought to react to, and when a few come along at once, you rapidly reach chaos, with everyone scrambling to figure out what this means and what to do about it to get the best outcome.
With a good plan, you have:
Clear context for evaluating the impact
Identified dependencies that might be affected
Alternative approaches already considered
Early warning indicators to spot knock-on effects
Planning for Change
The difference between a brittle plan and a resilient one isn't in the accuracy of its predictions. It's in how useful it is when things need to change.
A good plan helps you:
Quickly assess the impact of changes.
Identify which parts of the plan remain valid.
See what alternatives are already available.
Understand what new options you need to consider.
Making It Work
These in turn change the information that you want in your plans, to achieve these things. It’ll be different for everyone, but here's a start on how to make your plans change-friendly:
Capture Context, Not Just Steps
Document why decisions were made.
Note what alternatives were considered.
Record key assumptions.
Identify Change Triggers
What would make us reconsider this approach?
What early warning signs should we watch for?
What dependencies might shift?
Build in Options
Have backup approaches identified.
Know where you have flexibility and what you might use it for - don’t just have a pot to spend on the first thing that goes a bit wrong.
Understand your non-negotiables - or rather at what point your “non” negotiables actually become negotiable (see previous post on “want” vs “need”).
A Note About Success
This mindset about planning needs to extend beyond your immediate team to all your stakeholders. It's crucial that everyone understands: you can have a successful plan and successful delivery even when - perhaps especially when - what you ultimately deliver differs from what was in the original plan.
Successful delivery isn't about mindlessly executing what you wrote down six months ago. It's about:
Spotting when changes are needed (whether from technical challenges, business shifts, or evolving stakeholder needs)
Understanding why those changes matter
Working with stakeholders to understand how their needs are evolving
Collaborating to agree on the right adaptations
Delivering what creates value now, not what seemed valuable months ago
Some organizations celebrate teams that "stick to the plan" no matter what. But real success comes from teams that know how to use their plans to navigate change effectively. The team that delivers exactly what they planned six months ago - despite shifts in the market, technology, or stakeholder needs - hasn't shown good delivery, they've shown an inability to adapt.
The Bottom Line
A plan isn't a prediction to be defended - it's a tool for managing change effectively. The true test of a good plan isn't whether it perfectly predicted the future, but how well it helps you adapt when things inevitably change.
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This is the fourth in a loosely connected series around delivery. Next time we'll look at how a lead or manager can build these principles into your organization's culture to create sustainable, effective delivery.
I agree fully with this. People find it much easier to consider a concrete thing with a framework for thinking about it than a blank sheet of paper.
I also think that having a plan is a great way to get feedback to improve the plan.
It is way easier for others to spot holes in your thinking and ways to improve if you present them with a concrete plan of record, rather than a list of possibilities. The route from a rubbish plan to a great plan is a lot shorter than from no plan to a great plan.