Recently while upgrading the backend software for more than a dozen sites we run, I encountered different settings on each and every site. This had/has two impacts on me. First, I had to modify the script I had written to automate the upgrade process for each individual site which changed a thirty minute task into more than five hours. Secondly, for saving time on future upgrades I need to go back and modify the sites using a standard my partner and I have come up with. I will probably “waste” another five hours or so bringing all the sites up into our standard configuration

This is only one example that shows the need for planning - the necessary evil. Upgrading while we had no standards in our sites and standardizing the sites has a ten hour impact on our company. Depending on what you value your time as, ten hours can be expensive for your company.

Here is my quick list of tips for planning:

1) Plan often

Planning is not a one-time process in business. You must constantly plan, execute, evaluate the results and start the planning process over.

Planning often is much easier in a one person company than a company where you work with one or more people. In the latter case, my padna and I have created a solution to the plan often problem. We have several “off-site” planning sessions every year. We try to have quarterly “off-sites”, but running the business in our part-time sometimes hinders that. Another tool we use for planning is technology… the technology of a wiki (read the bottom of our Focus! article). Our corporate wiki allows us to easily update the notes in a collaborative way and maintains history of the various notes we have.

2) Document as you plan

You should document your planning sessions with notes that you could go back to in six months time and still understand what you were thinking in the planning session. Felthos Foundry uses a wiki to document as we go.

3) While planning, don’t get into the weeds unless you have time

During planning sessions, start with the big idea or the high level tasks you need to plan for before getting down into the weeds. Only after you have successfully reached the initial goals set for your planning session, feel free to drill down.

4) Create a realistic plan

This is much more difficult than you would think. Your entire team must believe that they can reach the goals set in the plan according to time and money estimates. If you create unrealistic plans

5) Do not get emotionally attached to a plan

Sometimes after a plan is put into motion, you discover either the plan is flawed or the basis for the plan is not as great of an idea after you sober up! In either case, you cannot be emotional attached to the plan as sometimes it is best to cut your losses.

Bonus) Create an agenda

Congratulations! You get a bonus tip!

Create an agenda for your planning sessions. This is especially useful for planning sessions with more than one person. An agenda should be put in place so you don’t waste the time you schedule for planning on figuring out what you need to plan.

As Hannibal from the A-Team would say… “I love it when a plan comes together”.

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