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The Payoff from Planning Backwards

When we are planning events or targeted outcomes which involve large numbers of moving pieces, the planning process itself can become complex. In the midst of this complexity, it's easy to overlook a critical consideration which we fail to take into account.

Often, we become aware of this omitted consideration only after we are well underway in implementation of the plan. When we discover the omission, we then must readjust our timetables and allotment of resources to take care of it. If these adjustments are somewhat major, they can be quite disruptive to the overall plan.

For decades, I've approached complex planning endeavors using a technique which minimizes the ris of overlooking crucial factors as we develop an overall plan for the effort. I share this approach in this podcast. I call it &;quot;planning backwards."

I've chosen that name because this planning reverses our normal planning approach. Usually we develo our plan by examining stages sequentially beginning with the starting point and continuing to the targeted outcome.

Planning backward moves in the opposite direction. It identifies what must be in place at the moment the targeted outcome is achieved. It then traces the trail of dependencies from the outcome back to its beginning.

I've found that this is a more reliable means of being certain that we've paid appropriate attention to every vital element which must go into fashioning a plan with multiple moving parts which must come together properly to assure the outcome we desire. And the technique is equally useful for group planning or for individuals planning alone.