Project Plans Are a Map, Not Directions

Why your turn-by-turn project is setting you up for failure.

When the road ahead is uncertain, you need options, not instructions.

I had an epiphany* about project planning while hiking in Northumberland. We had detailed directions from our guidebook: "Turn left at the signpost by the old oak, cross the stream after 400 metres..." But when we got there, the signpost and oak had fallen in a storm, and the stream flooded to be practically a lake, and our carefully described route was useless. What saved us? The guidebook (one of the very excellent Ordnance Survey Pathfinder Guides) includes a copy of the local OS map with every walk - giving you options to alternative paths, higher ground and effectively different routes to your destination.

This exactly mirrors my journey with project planning. When I started, I used to create detailed, turn-by-turn instructions for projects: we’ll do A, then B, then C. The plans looked perfect... until we actually started executing them. Then reality would hit, and I’d waste time trying to force-fit our work into outdated directions instead of finding better routes.

The Directions Trap

Traditional project planning often feels like following GPS directions:

• Take specific actions in a specific order

• Follow precise timelines

• No context for decisions

• One "optimal" route

• When blocked, wait for "recalculating..."

This approach fails because it assumes near perfect knowledge of conditions ahead, it provides no context for decision-making later, and it breaks down completely when you hit an obstacle.

The Map Mindset

Instead, think of your plan as a map, that

• Shows multiple possible routes

• Provides context and terrain

• Has different levels of detail (detailed for next steps, rougher for distant areas)

• Clear landmarks for orientation

• Helps you route around obstacles

I referenced this mindset shift before in A Plan is a Basis for Change, but this really shifts how you plan and execute:

1. Create Different Levels of Detail

Just like a map shows major highways and local streets:

• Detailed, specific plans for immediate next steps

• Medium-term milestones with multiple approaches

• Long-term goals with rough direction only

• Key decision points where routes diverge

2. Mark Your Landmarks

Maps help you orient yourself with prominent features:

• Clear milestone deliverables

• Customer feedback checkpoints

• Technical metrics

• Resource markers

• Early warning indicators

3. Plot Multiple Routes

Don't just show one path - explicitly map out:

• A set of principal routes with known challenges

• Alternative approaches for common obstacles

• Escape routes if things go badly

• Scenic routes for when you have extra time/resource

• Shortcuts for when you're under pressure

Making It Work in Practice

Continuing the metaphor, here's a way to implement this approach:

1. Start with the Terrain

• Map out known constraints

• Identify major obstacles

• Mark areas of uncertainty

• Show where you need more detail

2. Plot Your Checkpoints

• Key decision points

• Places to check position

• Points of no return

• Resource resupply points

3. Keep Updating Your Map

• Add detail as you learn more

• Mark discovered obstacles

• Note successful routes

• Share updates with the team

4. Teach Map Reading

• Help your team understand the context

• Make route-finding a team skill

• Encourage active navigation

• Celebrate good route choices

The Fuller Value of Mapping

Making a good map gives you much more than just a GPS route - it helps you:

• Understand your options

• Make informed decisions

• Find alternative routes

• Share context with others

• Learn the terrain for next time

When you approach planning this way, your team starts thinking differently. Instead of blindly following directions, they become active navigators, spotting issues early and suggesting better routes.

The Bottom Line

A good plan, like a good map, doesn't just tell you where to go - it helps you understand where you are and what options you have. When you treat your plan as a map rather than a set of directions, you create the context your team needs to navigate successfully, even when conditions change.

Remember: The best explorers don't just follow directions - they use (or create!) maps to understand their options and make good choices as they discover what lies ahead.

---

* For “had an epiphany” you could instead read “had moment of clarity and then got excited, forgetting that I was cold and wet on a Northumberland hillside” but that doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.