The Hidden Cost of Not Planning

You’ve probably heard the expression, “Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.” In other words, I shouldn’t feel any obligation to drop what I’m doing and jump through hoops just because you didn’t think ahead. It’s a good idea – except in those cases where you really do have to jump through hoops (such as when the non-planner is your boss.) My experience with a minor construction project last week was the inspiration for this blog. The project was a relatively small bathroom repair. I knew that I had to buy the tiles for the project, but I never anticipated making 7 trips to the home supply store! All because of poor planning on the part of the contractor. I’m sure that I could have refused to go back after my 2^nd or 3^rd trip, but this would have only delayed the project and kept me out of the bathroom for longer. Either way, I was going to pay a price for someone else’s failure to plan. Guiding an organization into the future is a leader’s job, and planning is an essential skill for doing so. In the absence of planning, your church or ministry will bounce from one priority to another, never gaining any momentum. Think of how much time I wasted with all those trips to the store not to mention the other interruptions in my work. This kind of wasted energy is magnified many times over in organizations that don’t plan and communicate well. And just as in the case of my contractor, those in leadership often don’t see the true organizational cost of their failure to plan. Since they’re not the ones making all the “trips to the store,” the impact of their decision is hidden. Perhaps you’re not sure if this blog applies to you. I have a suggestion – ask those that you are leading. Ask if you’re staying far enough ahead in setting direction and priorities and if you’re doing a good job of communicating this information to them. Ask how often they feel that their efforts are wasted because of poor planning. Ask what you need to do differently to minimize this cost. And then once you get their feedback, be willing to take action. Because the cost of not planning, while often hidden, is higher than you realize. It’s easy to receive my blogs by email. Just sign-up on Feedburner by clicking here.]]>