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Time Management Planning

When on time management training I often suggest to delegates:
“Always work to a detailed written plan.”

That often stimulates a response from at least one delegate who says:
 “I prefer to improvise.  I don't like to plan because, where I work-it so chaotic, making a plan is useless. So I prefer to improvise.”

This is a common interjection.
Yet it is faulty.

Why?
Because “Planning” and “improvisation” are not opposites from which you must choose.

The choice is NOT :
“Operate from a plan or improvise”.
Pick one”

The choice is
 “Operate from a plan or not”.
Pick one.”

The truth is that “Improvising” is a sub-set of “planning”

That means “Have a plan AND improvise, moment to moment, within the guidelines set out by the plan.”

Improvisation and planning are on the SAME side.

A plan is a guide written before the event.

Obviously you cannot foretell the future.
Neither do you have complete knowledge.
Consequently your plans will contain errors and omissions
Therefore, improvisation will be a necessary adjunct to your written plan.
Improvise AROUND the plan and deal with the evolving situation as it develops.

This is normal, rational and intelligent behaviour.

Abnormal, irrational behaviour is to throw out the planning process and try to pretend that what you have left is called improvising.

It is not.

It is called WINGING IT-Making it up as you go along.
It is a recipe for disaster.

DO NOT throw out planning.
Do not kid yourself that what you have left is improvising.

Wining it is acting with no purpose, no plan, no idea of what is occurring.

Such action is, a knee jerk response to an incomprehensible situation; without plan, purpose or design.

Always operate according to a written plan.

Think of a T junction in the road.

There is a sign post at the T junction.

One arm of the sign points right
and the other points left.

On the right side there is the destination of The City of Dreams!

If you want to go to the City of Dreams you must pass via the two towns of Planning and Improvisation. Both.

The other way are the twin towns of “Wing it” and “Chaos”.
They lay both on the same side, and both are stops on the way to DISASTER.

If you take this route you will arrive at Disaster

Do the right thing.

Don’t try wing it and claim you are improvising. It will end in disaster.

Go by way of planning and improvising together.
You will eventually arrive in the City of dreams.

Nice.

For more information about Time Management Training vistit the Corporate Coach Group websi

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