If I Only Had A Brain

by Hal on October 25, 2002

in PM practice

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An ENR Summit attendee asked for my best advice for conducting planning sessions. The individual was looking for a standard agenda format. I surprised him by saying the quality of the planning is a function of the questions asked by the leaders present. I got the usual, "Huh?" I remembered the following Top Five list I use in coaching project leaders. I offered to send it to him. Only problem is I can't find the business card that goes with the promise! Oh well…I hope you're reading.




Top Five Behaviors for LPS™ Planning Sessions


  1. Inquire rather than advocate by asking, Why do you say that?
  2. Explore alternatives, How else could we do this?
  3. Build on proposals asking, How can we make it work?
  4. Anticipate risks and opportunities, What might go wrong?
  5. Encourage participation, Thank you for your contribution. Who has something else to offer?

© 2002 Lean Project Consulting, Inc.

What do you do with the above top five list? At your next project planning meeting shift your questions. Make it your goal to ask follow-up questions. Do it in the mood of curiosity not interrogation. Avoid answering your own questions or differing with the answers you get. See what happens. At the end of the session conduct a plus-delta review to get participants' views on what produced value for them and what could produce more value in the future. Focus on one or two of the items from your plus-delta review at the next planning meeting.

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

1 john October 27, 2002 at 9:28 pm

Hal,

You know what’s funny? I was in the Army, and they had the best damned environment for planning and learning, and sharing learned knowledge I’ve ever seen…

It’s amazing…

I thought for sure that when I got our of the Army, the civilian world would be much better at leadership, because money was involved…

you know what I found?

most civilian’s in charge of things have no business being in charge…

it’s odd…

2 Hal October 28, 2002 at 1:50 am

I too am surprised at how little leadership is available day-to-day. But I’ve come to realize that you get what you ask for…and often little else. So, try asking for leadership from anyone in a position to provide it. No telling what you’ll get!

3 Buck October 29, 2002 at 5:45 am

Hi,
I have come across quite a lot of so called planning meetings/sessions.
Main focus was not to plan,
but to accomodate the given dates that
were spelled out by the top brass boys
probably while they were out golfing ;-)

So planning is not trying to get tasks done realistically(in a possible timeframe), but trying to meet given Milestones that are completely taken out of the blue sky…

Well I guess planning is relative.

Bye

Buck

4 Hal October 31, 2002 at 1:12 am

Just remember…we always have a choice: we can stay or we can go. We never have to lick stamps, unless of course we agree to.

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