How do you plan projects when your company doesn't value planning?

It's a question I've been asked a few times in the last week. Where a company doesn't recognise value in project planning and actively discourages practice leads from doing so. In this scenario, how do we plan?

First, look in the mirror

In organisations where I have heard of a resistance to planning, I've never witnessed the core of that resistance when tested. It appears more illusionary than real. When I ask a CIO if she's OK that we don't plan, the sideways look says it all. When I ask the CFO if he's OK that I guess the financial forecast rather than base it off a plan, there's a disappointed shake of the head. When I ask business unit leads if they're OK that I can't give them a heads up on what resources the project will need from them - they're not.

Given the cause of resistance can't be found, you have to look in the mirror and check the resistance isn't within your own ranks. Planning is hard, often thankless, constantly changing and, apparently “not agile”, so a little resistance wouldn't surprise me. It's pain avoidance. So, first, check you're not the resistance. 9 times out of 10, this is the problem.

Just like 90% of people think they're more intelligent than average, most people think they're not the problem. But that's not my experience, so check hard.

Ideas for the 10%

You've landed here which means your organisation really does have an allergic reaction to planning. Hope is not lost.

Try roadmapping instead of planning. Whilst planning has negative associations of time, rigidity and waste, those associations don't seem to stick around with roadmaps. Instead it's associated with “just enough”, directional not detailed, and quick. Asking your organisation to encourage roadmapping is a great way to introduce the value of planning into a company that doesn't yet see the value. Just make sure your roadmaps fit on a page and don't resemble a Gantt chart.

Still got some resistance - try taking your roadmap to a governance meeting. Use it to show where we are and what will be done next. Once those ordained start to appreciate the value in what a roadmap can tell them, they will start asking for the same across other work. Your company just asked you for a plan!

An alternative strategy is the maturity assessment. Every organisation has war stories of those projects that went wrong. Every organisation sees value in getting it right. A maturity assessment will highlight areas of weakness and things the organisation should focus on. Get agreement and support to do an assessment and then roll out something like P3M3. Of course, it will pick up planning as a weakness. It's hard to be ignored now. Or roll two into one and propose to address the weakness through roadmaps.

If these don't cut it, the finance team may be your friend. Finance tend to have a lot of organisational influence and power. Even more than that, they plan! That's what a budget is. And we all know how much money gets spent on doing that every year! So the organisation does value planning, just not for projects. But projects are a money sink and the org value financial planning. Join the two. Get support for financial rigor in projects and address it with improved planning. You can't do a good financial forecast without a plan.

Success is 90% perspiration

Don't give up. We are the custodians of good projects and we have to fight for what is right. You know the value of a good plan. If you get a “no”, don't give up. Keep fighting for what you know is right. Even better - put your strategy into a plan!