Planning - Failure to Execute

When is a plan completed?

There is an inevitable risk in planning and that is finishing the plan. Is a plan finished when it has been created or when the plan has been executed and all tasks completed? Building a plan can be complex and take time. But a plan is useless unless it is executed, meaning that all the tasks within the plan have been completed and an outcome can be determined. Each plan that we build has goals and targets but if the plan is never executed then meeting the goals is impossible.

So, are plans just an excuse to bypass poor business judgement and inactivity? Are they just a political exercise to satisfy management or maybe the planner themselves? How important is it to not just plan but complete the plan and review the outcomes?

Why Plans Fail Without Action

In both personal and business contexts, creating a plan is often seen as a necessary first step toward achieving success. However, a critical question arises: Is a plan completed when it’s been drafted or only when it has been fully executed? Building a plan can indeed be a complex process, but if the plan is never put into action, its value becomes questionable. Planning without execution is akin to setting a destination on a map but never starting the journey. This phenomenon has become all too common in organisations, where plans are created but never fully executed, leaving goals unmet and opportunities wasted.

Planning cost money and consumes resources. Failure to execute the plan wastes the business capital and resources.

Read more at https://www.shapedlogic.com.au/post/failure-to-execute-planning-conundrum.