The master plan….

In university, we learn that planning is the core of all the management functions. But with my experience so far, I bet I've done a couple of plans and I know how the other side of planning looks like.

We all plan on how we are going to do this and that in the future. When we are planning, we forecast about how things will turn out. We do what is commonly referred to in economics as assuming all things are held constant. It's very rarely that all things end up being held constant. We spend a lot of time laying down 'master plans' only for them to be undermined by the immediate turn of events.

Plans in themselves play a key role in preparing you on what you are about to undertake. But be careful because what you are going to come across out there in the implementation stage tends to be unique in each case.

One of my friends used to tell me that 'we should plan for the best but expect the worst'. When you expect the worst, anything but the worst will be exciting to you. That's why you should not hesitate too much to get into the action stage. Too much analysis leads to analysis paralysis.

With regard to a plan getting faced by unexpected turn of events; a good example is the Kenyan government. Just a few years down the vision 2030 implementation, the 2007-2008 post election violence broke out and the gains made were reversed. What do you do when the unexpected happens? I guess that's when a plan B comes to the rescue. That's where risk management steps in.

You look at the plan from a pessimistic point of view and make provisions on how you'll approach these turn of events. Like it's said, that which has a likelihood of occurring will surely occur…..guess to be on the safe side, you need to prepare for the worst. This will prepare your mind on how to handle the unexpected turn of events and you won't be surprised when the worst happens.

This translates in a leader stepping up as the motivator in such situations. Since a leader is supposed to have a higher emotional  intelligence in times of trouble; being prepared subconsciously incase of any adverse turn of ev ent goes a long way in determining how you will react when the expected turn of events is not the one expected.

- LC VP Comm & IM
  By S K W