"Dress for the Slide, not the Ride" Plans coming together!

When I ride my motorcycle, I dress with protection in anticipation of a worst-case crash and sliding on the road rather than looking good or being comfortable. This approach to risk mitigation applies to anything we do where problems can occur, especially with Smiles Per Mile (SPM)!

When building a project plan, some people like to add as many details as possible to ensure that when execution comes, it will be "perfect." Perfection is only a destination; change is inevitable. If you don't like change, then you must also not like promotions, pay increases, or personal development.

Remember, the project's core purpose is NOT to deliver the set plan or approach; the purpose is to deliver the Objectives, Scope, and Success Criteria! My experience in life is that things never go as planned, but our plans for projects can come together using the magic of the process.

One of my favorite technical leaders used to preach: "Plan for the worst and hope for the best!" This approach helped us think through unlimited possible problems that could occur, their associated severity, likelihood, as well as what actions we could take to mitigate them before, during, or after occurrence. This planning exercise to create risk & contingency activities is critical to establishing the magic "process" mindset (i.e., agility) for yourself and your team.

Golden Steps for Risk Mitigation

1. Assess. What are all the things that could go wrong? For example, the what, who, why, where, and the consequences of occurrences (see 6W2H)? What could be the root cause of each of the failures? Get peer reviews and outside perspectives to fully and thoroughly assess the potential problems.

2. Plan. What skills need to be acquired, practices need to be performed, and standards, systems, or controls need to be put in place (before, during, after) to minimize consequences from problem occurrence? What resource help is required? How long does each action need to take, and what is the interdependency and sequence of activities to enable the best outcome?

3. Execute! As you execute your plan, continue the "planning process" with frequent renewals and revisions of assumptions, status, and approved changes. This will enable a better prediction of the outcome and what activities need to be implemented for agility.

I have seen the best outcomes when you spend quality time on the risk assessment, plan structure, and executing with the planning process mindset! Because, in the words of John 'Hannibal' Smith (A-Team), who doesn't "love it when a plan comes together"? Especially, when you are able to smoke a cigar at an adult day care center as opposed to wandering aimlessly through endless tourist stores?

What works for you to make your plans come together?

Demystifying 6W2H

Simon Sinek (Planning is a Process not an Event)

Philippines

© Nuri Dimler 2025