Agile planning is, in my opinion, the key to create sustainable success. It allows you to focus on what is under your control and adjust your plan to changes that may occur in your environment.
When using annual planning it is difficult to define the details, this method is not very flexible, it does not allow you to adjust your objectives to the changes that can happen around you, makes hard to evaluate the results whether you do it at 6 months or at the end of the year, which limits to make effective changes to your initial plan as required.
Elements of agile planning
Agile planning is based on five elements:
- Clear long-term vision.
- 12-week planning.
- Execution control.
- Honest review of results.
- Intentional time use.
Each of these elements are described below.
1. Clear long-term vision
Your vision is your compass. A clear vision of what you want to achieve in the long term gives you direction.
With your long-term vision you can define where you want to be in the next 2 or 3 years, 12 months and 12 weeks and plan and create milestones along the way.
2. 12-week planning
When you have 12 weeks to reach your goals, each day and action count, there is no room for procrastination.
With your vision of where you want to be in 12 weeks to create your long-term vision, define 1 to 3 goals that you will achieve in those 12 weeks, the strategies and actions you will use to achieve them and how you will evaluate your progress.
3. Execution control
To achieve the goals that you have set for yourself the most important thing is to take action, every action and every day count to your achievements.
It is useless to make a spectacular plan if you do not control your execution
4. Honest review of results
To evaluate your progress and your results, define indicators that allow you to verify if you are taking action (e.g., % actions taken vs planned) and if the actions you are taking are moving you closer to your goals (e.g., % advance, measurable results).
While reviewing it is important to identify the actions you have been avoiding and find the reason why. What is really behind that procrastination: fear, limiting beliefs?
5. Intentional time use
To use time intentionally, a good trick is to create time blocks. You can create 30, 60, or 90-minutes time blocks to focus exclusively on your priority activities.
These priority time blocks are followed by shorter ones for less priority tasks, such as answering certain emails, making phone calls, checking social media, etc.
Do you want to know more about agile planning? Let’s have a virtual coffee and talk.
