Planning Paralysis

How many projects are sitting on your desk, unstarted, because you can't find the time to make a plan?

In the ideal world of project management, you create a plan listing all the steps needed, in order, to get you where you want to go, with timelines, responsibilities and required resources all figured out down to the last nickel. (And a nickel might mean 5 cents, 5 hundred bucks, or 5 grand, depending on the size of your venture). In the real world that most managers live in, they can't find the time to make this comprehensive plan, so the project sits, unstarted, for weeks, months, years.

For some projects, like building an oil refinery in 18 months, you'd be crazy to start without a solid project plan. But for many projects that are sitting on manager's desks throughout the world, a comprehensive plan is not that important. The important thing is to start.

So, figure out the first thing you could do to make some progress on the project. Call someone, gather one piece of information, take one small step, give direction to one minion. You need a general idea of where you're going, but more importantly, you really need to start making progress.

Then, after you take that first step, you see if it's taken you closer to your objective, or if it's a little off target. Based on what you learn, you adjust your direction and take the next baby step. This simple breakdown of a journey into little cycles of Step, Adjust, Step, Adjust, Step, Adjust can take you through to completion of a project, without ever having to define an intricate, detailed, step-by-step project plan. This works surprisingly well.

So, take a look at your desk, figure out which project would make the biggest difference to you over the next weeks, months, years, and take the first step. It's time to get started.