plan first

A friend of mine and I had to be somewhere, and we were late. We got in the car, and I started the navigation system. I was checking alteative routes when she told me, “Nader! We’re late! Come on! Let’s go!”

Well, I was spending more time than usual on the navigation system exactly because we were late. We couldn’t afford any mistakes or a less-than-optimum route. Was it a bad idea?

You probably agree with me on this. However, when it’s time to manage our projects, we’re so enthusiastic that we just start driving, without setting the navigation system. Sometimes we get lost, and sometimes we just arrive late. Both are undesirable. 

We plan first, before executing the project. Execution, in the PMBOK Guide, is nothing but materializing the plan.

So, we’re going to plan our project before executing it. How do you start planning? Please don’t tell me “I start preparing the schedule.”

(ICEMA) Iran Construction Engineering Management Association