The document discusses effective work planning. It argues that work planning is most successful when it involves diverse people and allows for flexibility. An effective work plan (1) considers available resources and priorities, (2) sequences tasks logically, and (3) identifies and mitigates risks. The work plan should have a clear connection to the organization's mission and focus on high-impact activities. It is then important to evaluate if the work plan was followed as intended and make adjustments if needed.

1. Work-planning: What Works?
Sub-title I: And other acts of fiction
Sub-title II: How to make the most of it

2. • It’s best to view strategic planning and work-planning
as a property of a successful system, not
a function of how smart everyone is…
• It’s about making choices (and an investment) in
an uncertain future
• It benefits from involvement of people who:
– are creative
– bring a diversity of thought and attitude
– have experienced failure as well as success
– respect one another for their range of qualities
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3. • Requires a willingness to set, then try a course
of action knowing full well that it will have to
be tweaked or even overhauled entirely as
events unfold...
– This is where strategic planning meets work-planning
meets performance improvement…
– Vision and mission are like a cardinal compass point. Due
North is staying put, but your path to get there (your work
plan) may require course-correction en route…
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5. Qs. Developing the work plan… (I)
• Resourcing/capacity vis-à-vis the various discrete activities: Do we have all
the resources* on-hand to deliver what we set out to do or is part of the
work plan to develop the capacity?
– *(people, $, time, infrastructure, knowledge, skills, other)
• Of our activities, which should be our primary focus/foci?
– Can we rank-order our strategic priorities and deliverables? vs. Which
activities are likely to consume most of our time?
• What’s the right sequence of events (if there is a natural before-next-after)?
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6. Qs. Developing the work plan… (II)
• Where are our greatest risks, e.g., in not completing the work or
reaching our goals? How confident are we that we can deliver?
– How might we mitigate these risks (or improve our confidence)? Should the work
plan reflect the risk/confidence, e.g., pre-identify some tasks as “stretch goals”…
• Keep coming back to:
– The “so what”: Is there a clear and direct connection back to your mission and
vision?
– Potential for high-impact, high-return: Which activities yield the highest returns?
How will you know?
– Existing strengths: What strengths can you rely on to help you deliver?
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7. Qs. Doing the work…
• Did we do what we said we would? (If not,
why not?)
• If so, did each action deliver/work as we
anticipated? (If not, why not?)
• If so, can we sustain the action? (With what
resources? If not, then what?)
• How prepared are we for what’s ahead?
– What adjustments must we make, if any?
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