Planning it V's winging it!

There is often a lot of debate between me and my business colleagues about whether to plan it or wing it!

As a natural planner I would say that planning is always best as it helps to mitigate risk, helps me to feel more comfortable in what I am delivering/saying and gives me peace of mind that I am prepared for whatever lies ahead.

That is not to say that winging it doesn’t have its place, as sometimes we just need to ‘go with the flow’ and see where it takes us!

Remember though, if you are going to wing it, you may seem short sighted, it could increase your risk of seeming like you don’t have a plan, create poor communication as often the decisions are made fast and usually by one person, and in some cases you lose sight of the bigger picture and go off on a tangent, which may not give you the results you are hoping for...

If like me, you are a planner here are some hints and tips:

Know what your overall goal is before you start, so that you know (and can plan for) what you want to achieve.

Decide how you are going to take your team on the journey with you and then you can plan accordingly.

Look at all potential risks and obstacles that you may face along the way, that way you can mitigate the risk and have solutions in place before you start.

Make sure you schedule meetings/sessions in advance and record/review. This will give you evidence of what you have achieved so far, and what you still need to do. It will also help you to make any amendments along the way.

Plan in timescales so that you can keep on track, and if you miss a milestone, analyse why and get back on track.

Remember – A plan needs to be fluid. Things change, so make sure that you have the ability to adapt.

My passion is for learning, any age, anywhere, anytime. That is why I offer Interactive E-learning, Face to Face training, Microsoft Teams/Zoom training and consultancy services. Learning should be easy to organise, and more importantly fun!

The world is moving so fast these days, especially where technology is concerned, everything is mobile, what would we do without our mobile phones and tablets? Learning takes place every day, whether it’s from an article we read, an app we download or a conversation we have going about our everyday lives. We are always learning and developing.

Author: Maxine Clark

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