How To Plan Well For The Year Ahead.

The next 12 months are coming and we all feel the weight of putting in place plans that can support us to have the best year ever! Planning for the year ahead can be a daunting task, but when attempted thoughtfully and systematically it can help to put you in the best position to succeed.

Here are my tips on how to plan well for the year ahead:

Plan across three horizons.

The Three Horizons Framework* developed by Sharpe, Hodgson, Leicester, Lyon and Fazey in 2016 is a great way to start the year ahead with clarity, drive and excitement. The first horizon is the way things are done now. We rely on patterns and habits developed in the past. Most change is small and happens within these familiar patterns. We know these patterns are not working as well as they used to and feel change is coming. The second horizon is a time of change when we will try new things in response to changing landscapes. This horizon is important because it provides the opportunity for us to plan for more radical changes to happen. The third horizon contains the long-term futures emerging to replace the existing first horizon. It is currently growing on the edges of the first horizon and will require great changes to create new ways of working to meet a range of future conditions and possibilities.

Think 5 to 10 years ahead.

Ask yourself "What could the world look like 5 to 10 years ahead?" and then think about what actions you could take this year to put yourself in the best position for success in 5 to 10 years. This will help you to be mindful of the longer-term impact of your choices. It will also help you to set ambitious goals that are achievable in the long term, rather than focusing on short-term wins only.

Backcast.

Once you know your longer-term goals, try backcasting - a process that works backwards from the endpoint to determine what needs to be done right now. This can help you prioritise and focus on short-term actions that will help lead to the desired future outcomes. To do backcasting, start by defining the desired outcome and then work backwards to identify the steps required for success.

Review and adjust as necessary.

As the year passes, it is important to review your progress regularly. As Susan Scott in her book Fierce Conversations** says "No plan survives its confrontation with reality". Adjusting as necessary will help you stay on track and make sure that the goals you set at the beginning of the year are still relevant. This can also serve as an opportunity to reflect on what you have achieved and identify what has worked well, as well as any areas that need improvement.

Acknowledge your uniqueness.

No one has ever worked in the year ahead before! Your experiences, skills and knowledge are unique to you. Part of planning for the year ahead is acknowledging that – as far as possible - your plan should be tailored towards what makes you successful. Your path to navigate the year ahead is yours and whilst you can get ideas from others to help you plan, you should acknowledge that it is unique to you.

Planning for the year ahead can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. By leveraging frameworks such as The Three Horizons Framework and backcasting techniques, you can create an effective plan that puts you in the best position possible to succeed over the next twelve months. Additionally, don’t forget to acknowledge your uniqueness and tailor your plans accordingly – what works well for someone else may not work so well for you. Finally, remember that no plan is perfect - review and adjust where necessary throughout the year as circumstances change! With these tips in mind, you should feel better equipped than ever before when planning for success this coming year. Good luck!

Check out the insight & foresight website for more tools and techniques to plan and make decisions for impact and future growth.

References

*Sharpe, B., A. Hodgson, G. Leicester, A. Lyon, and I. Fazey. 2016. Three horizons: a pathways practice for transformation.?Ecology and Society?21(2):47.

** Scott, S. 2002. Fierce Conversations : achieving success in work and in life, one conversation at a time. Piatkus.