Everyone needs a plan
The Agile Method
Many people I know say, “oh, I don’t make plans.” But nothing works without a plan. Even if you don’t make plans, you do. You just don’t realize that you do. In the case of businesses, a goal, a business plan, is a must. The hard part about writing a business plan is that humans are unable to predict the future accurately in a large percentage of cases. Many may start conducting their business without one, or so they think, but the truth is that we all do it. A teen babysitter planned to trade extra time, skill at keeping another human being fed, entertained, and alive until a responsible adult relieved you of your responsibility for payment. Sounds like a plan. A Kid sets up a newspaper route to deliver to all the clients quickly and then go to school or do your homework, it may not be a document, but it is a plan.
A business plan is not different than what we automatically do in our brains. Putting a business plan down on paper may be helpful if one needs to convince investors or banks that one’s idea is a reasonable risk. But most of all, a plan is a roadmap for the route one must take to achieve success. Thus, having a business plan should not constrain an organization to a single unchangeable path. Instead, a business plan is a guide that shows how one deviates or pivots to adapt to the external complications that make future predicting so unreliable.
As a business owner or just a manager or team member, I participated and sometimes managed a few projects. The most successful ones have had meticulous planning and management. It does not matter how complex or straightforward the task is. If it’s a software design project, a building construction project, a garment manufacturing project, or dinner for a crowd, every project needs a plan, so knowing how and when to deviate is an easier decision, knowing if each sub-task is on time or complete, and manage cost.
Unlike a business plan that may roll out over months or even years, a project plan needs project management tools and a management methodology. My favorite tools are part of the Atlassian software suite, Salesforce or MS Dynamics CRM, and a few add-ons to make it all work together. My go-to methodology is Agile.
What is Agile? Agile refers to project development methodologies where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between cross-functional teams. The value in Agile development is that it enables teams to deliver faster, with superb quality, predictability, and better aptitude to respond to change. My next article is all about Agile…
