The Power Of Project Planning
Sachin Mathur
Project Management & IT Expert 20+ years | Strategic planning, workflow optimization, agile transformation & more | Proven results for government project teams
Short-Term?Pain, Long-Term?Gain?
“Why do so many professionals say they are project managing when what they are actually doing is?fire fighting?” –?Colin Bentley ?
It is all too common: rushing from meeting to meeting, constantly checking emails, and spending precious minutes putting out one fire after the next. On the surface, it may look like a lot is being achieved. However, when teams spend workdays having to tackle the newest challenge of the day, this can lead to significant consequences in the long term.?
We see the fire fighting approach adopted in a few of the following scenarios:
Instead of focusing on putting out fires, the goal should be to prevent them in the first place. This is where the power of project planning comes into play. ?
The Power Of Project Planning
“Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”-?General Dwight D. Eisenhower??
When teams dedicate time to planning and mapping out projects, several things happen:
When that happens,?project?teams see benefits such as: ?
Increasing The Probability Of Success???
No plan leads to an underprepared team and a disorganized system. Planning ensures that each team member understands their role and the project goal and has clearly defined responsibilities and expectations.?Organized?teams are much more effective?in?completing?tasks and achieving?project?goals. Plans?alone?are not?the sole?panacea to success. However, planning does improve the odds of success significantly.??
Reducing project risk
During the planning phase,?adequate resources, dependencies, and constraints are accounted for. Planning prevents scope creep, creates predictability, removes the need for time-consuming re-work, and ensures commitment from your stakeholders. When you create a comprehensive plan, communication with your clients and stakeholders improves, instilling confidence and reducing project risk.?
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Improving reputation with consistent delivery
Having a plan in place allows your team to?deliver on customer expectations.?Over time, consistent successful project delivery?improves the reputation of your organization.?When delivery is consistent, your team proves to be reliable. This ultimately improves your reputation, increases client satisfaction, and can lead to future opportunities. ?
The Agile Myth ?
It is a common myth that Agile teams operate in an unstable environment and don’t do any planning. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth.?
Planning is continually occurring for Agile teams. Agile methodology requires short-term planning for each increment and iteration, keeping teams focused and on track.
This ensures delivery consistency in alignment with long-term plans.
Experienced Agile practitioners create long-term plans through backlog items, product roadmaps, and constantly grooming?and prioritizing?their backlog. The product roadmap helps keep teams aligned to business goals while understanding how the project?or the product?will evolve. ?
Planning your project and setting up new processes can seem daunting. However, working with an experienced project manager can help better anticipate potential problem areas and improve company culture. ?
Regardless of your methodology— Agile or traditional waterfall, it will require commitment. Waterfall methodology is a linear approach, whereas Agile is an incremental and iterative approach. Because of this, Agile methodology is often much more flexible.?
For project teams interested in the benefits of Agile while working within?the?scope,?schedule?and cost constraints?of the?traditional iron triangle, you can read more?here.
Conclusion?
To summarize, a?fire fighting?approach may appear to work in the short term, but ultimately it jeopardizes project success and?your organization’s?growth. ?
When done well, planning is a powerful tool for your?team?that can lead to: ?
And so much more.
If you’re interested in increasing your project success rate, email [email protected] for a complimentary consultation.