The Way of Flawless Planning

Life is an unpredictable mix of simple and complex challenges. The difference between simple and complex is the degree of uncertainties. Complex challenges have more uncertainties.

In complex challenges, we have an idea of something we want to make happen and don’t exactly know how to make it happen because our uncertainties outnumber our certainties. In simple challenges, we have an idea of something we want to make happen and we know how to make it happen because our certainties outnumber our uncertainties.

Complex challenges require planning. We might not want to wing it, fumble our way through it, or operate from a strategy of hope. When it comes to planning, we have two options: flawless or flawed planning. Flawless planning is question-based planning. Flawed planning is assumption-based planning.

Flawless planning is flawless because the ultimate flaw in planning is working from our conscious and unconscious assumptions. Here, we work from questions rather than assumptions. We surface our uncertainties, turn them into questions, turn questions into actions, and turn actions into new possibilities. Because we always have uncertainties, it works every time. Given the simplicity of the model, it shouldn’t work, but it does.

Questions are what we don't yet know—our interests, curiosities, and wonders. Assumptions are what we already know —our guesses, speculations, and opinions. Questions are windows offering us views to new patterns and possibilities. Assumptions are walls constraining us to old patterns and possibilities. In a world of uncertainties questions are unlimited resources; assumptions are limiting constraints.

Being question-based is particularly useful when we’re planning together because we have more uncertainties when planning together than planning alone. Questions turn uncertainties into marvelous assets in planning any complex challenges. They give us more options than assumptions can and make us more mindful in our planning.

The model is designed for teams, leaders, organizations, civic groups, startups, people in transitions, individuals, partners, and couples. It can be used on its own or to complement any other planning model we want to be flawless. It quickly builds alignment, momentum, and results.

Flawless planning is an open source model that evolved over the past 30 years from unique synergies of Neuroscience, Scenario Planning, Neurolinguistic Programming, and Action Learning. The process doesn’t require experts to lead us in planning. Flawless planning simply requires what we already know how to do: imagining, questioning, and doing.

It's fascinating that just shifting our planning model from flawed to flawless could make such a profound difference.