Point Lookout: a free weekly publication of Chaco Canyon Consulting
Volume 25, Issue 18;   April 30, 2025: On Planning in Plan-Hostile Environments: II

On Planning in Plan-Hostile Environments: II

by

When we finally execute plans, we encounter obstacles. So we find workarounds or adjust the plans. But there are times when nothing we try gets us back on track. When this happens for nearly every plan, we might be working in a plan-hostile environment.
Someone got the wrong information about which sneakers to wear on which feet

What miscommunication can look like. Here, someone got the wrong information about which sneakers to wear on which feet

At the highest level, plans are little more than specifications for collaborative activity. They describe the resources, relationships, and choreography that guide the people who will be executing the plans as they work together to reach their shared objectives. But no plan is ever complete, because all plans are executed inside an environment of some kind. Business plans are executed within a market; project plans within a strategic plan; employee performance plans within an organization.

When we devise a plan we make assumptions about the environment within which we intend to execute it. One common, if tacit, assumption is that the environment will be at least somewhat supportive of the plan. We assume that the plan and its hosting environment are compatible.

Factors that lead to planning difficulty

Some environments have properties that make them hostile to all plans. I explored three of those properties last time: scope creep, a focus on project management rather than people management, and one-size-fits-all policies. Here are three more.

When the success rate for plans
is poor, people are tempted to
push the boundaries of their
roles to prevent failure
Ambiguity of roles and responsibilities
Ambiguity of roles and responsibilities encourages those with even the most limited ambitions to take steps to enhance their own status. Because the success rate for plans is so poor, people try to "help." They're tempted to push the boundaries of their roles to prevent failure.
By reaching beyond the limits of what others understand as their roles, people can (intentionally or not) disrupt plans that assume more limited definitions of those roles.
Elevated incidence of miscommunication
Because everyone is under extreme time pressure, they communicate by messaging instead of face-to-face. And they do it hurriedly, which elevates the chance of misunderstanding.
When things go awry, and the overall approach changes to respond to the problems, not everyone is informed at the same time. Some people are following the old plan, some are following he new plan, and some the new-new plan. Miscommunications abound.
Unrealistic schedules
One way to seem to make up for lost time is to set unrealistic schedules. They help us maintain the delusion that the previous schedule was achievable. It was never possible, and creating a new unachievable schedule won't change that.
Unrealistic schedules are little more than tactics for avoiding conveying to Management the whole, sad truth about our desperate situation.
Reorganization(s)
Although reorganizations do often produce efficiencies, the savings usually appear at the scale of the enterprise. At the scale of the individual project or task, the effects can be less helpful. The fundamental problem is that reorganizations sometimes sever existing working relationships unnecessarily. People are then compelled to build new relationships, and that takes time and resources.
A second difficulty is that champions of reorganizations sometimes oversell expected efficiencies. The new workloads aren't always reasonable and rebalancing workflows can take time.
Factions and polarization
Political factions and polarization within the organization can act as sources of turmoil for the indefinite future, as political opponents of the advocates of the plan seize opportunities to deflect plans into directions more compatible with their own agendas.
The effects of factionalism and polarization can appear even before execution begins. Anticipating attacks, some planners include defenses against those attacks in the plans from the outset. This anticipatory defense makes plans more complicated than they need otherwise be, which increases costs, stretches schedules, and enhances risks.

Even more

Here are a few more factors:

  • Unresolved conflicts
  • Past errors unaddressed
  • Leaders more concerned with personal success than with enterprise success
  • Organic process development has led to burdensome processes
  • Inadequate resources: equipment and personnel

I'm sure there are more. rbrenubcqSvusyBsQaEDwner@ChacfhuriyFKgDguTpuYoCanyon.comSend them along and I'll add them to the list.  On Planning in Plan-Hostile Environments: I First issue in this series   Subject Matter Bullying Next issue in this series  Go to top Top  Next issue: Subject Matter Bullying  Next Issue

How to Spot a Troubled Project Before the Trouble StartsProjects never go quite as planned. We expect that, but we don't expect disaster. How can we get better at spotting disaster when there's still time to prevent it? How to Spot a Troubled Project Before the Trouble Starts is filled with tips for executives, senior managers, managers of project managers, and sponsors of projects in project-oriented organizations. It helps readers learn the subtle cues that indicate that a project is at risk for wreckage in time to do something about it. It's an ebook, but it's about 15% larger than "Who Moved My Cheese?" Just . Order Now! .

Your comments are welcome

Would you like to see your comments posted here? rbrenubcqSvusyBsQaEDwner@ChacfhuriyFKgDguTpuYoCanyon.comSend me your comments by email, or by Web form.

About Point Lookout

This article in its entirety was written by a 
          human being. No machine intelligence was involved in any way.Thank you for reading this article. I hope you enjoyed it and found it useful, and that you'll consider recommending it to a friend.

This article in its entirety was written by a human being. No machine intelligence was involved in any way.

Point Lookout is a free weekly email newsletter. Browse the archive of past issues. Subscribe for free.

Support Point Lookout by joining the Friends of Point Lookout, as an individual or as an organization.

Do you face a complex interpersonal situation? Send it in, anonymously if you like, and I'll give you my two cents.

Related articles

More articles on Workplace Politics:

The Great WallDevious Political Tactics: Divide and Conquer: II
While most leaders try to achieve organizational unity, some do use divisive tactics to maintain control, or to elevate performance by fostering competition. Here's Part II of a series exploring the risks of these tactics.
The freshman class of the 2012 U.S. CongressSocial Entry Strategies: II
When we first engage with a group at work, we employ social entry strategies to make places for ourselves to carry out our responsibilities, and to find enjoyment and fulfillment at work. Here's Part II of a little catalog of social entry strategies.
Todd Park, United States Chief Technology OfficerProjects as Proxy Targets: II
Most projects have both supporters and detractors. When a project has been approved and execution begins, some detractors don't give up. Here's Part II of a catalog of tactics detractors use to sow chaos.
A dense Lodgepole Pine stand in Yellowstone National Park in the United StatesConversation Despots
Some people insist that conversations reach their personally favored conclusions, no matter what others want. Here are some of their tactics.
A collaborative discussionAllocating Airtime: II
Much has been said about people who don't get a fair chance to speak at meetings. We've even devised processes intended to more fairly allocate speaking time. What's happening here?

See also Workplace Politics and Workplace Politics for more related articles.

Forthcoming issues of Point Lookout

A Bactrian camelComing May 28: Mismanaging Project Managers: Leadership
Most organizations hold project managers accountable for project performance. But they don't hold Project Sponsors or other Senior Managers accountable for the consequences of their actions when they interfere with the project manager's ability to lead the project team. Available here and by RSS on May 28.
NGC 4414, a typical spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma BerenicesAnd on June 4: white-collar contractor sabotage
Modern firms in competitive, dynamic markets draw on many types of employer/employee relationships, including contractors. By providing privileges and perks preferentially among these different types, they risk creating a caldron of resentments that can reduce organizational effectiveness. Available here and by RSS on June 4.

Coaching services

I offer email and telephone coaching at both corporate and individual rates. Contact Rick for details at rbrenubcqSvusyBsQaEDwner@ChacfhuriyFKgDguTpuYoCanyon.com or (650) 787-6475, or toll-free in the continental US at (866) 378-5470.

Get the ebook!

Past issues of Point Lookout are available in six ebooks:

Reprinting this article

Are you a writer, editor or publisher on deadline? Are you looking for an article that will get people talking and get compliments flying your way? You can have 500-1000 words in your inbox in one hour. License any article from this Web site. More info

Follow Rick

Send email or subscribe to one of my newsletters Follow me at LinkedIn Follow me at Bluesky, or share a post Subscribe to RSS feeds Subscribe to RSS feeds
The message of Point Lookout is unique. Help get the message out. Please donate to help keep Point Lookout available for free to everyone.
Technical Debt for Policymakers BlogMy blog, Technical Debt for Policymakers, offers resources, insights, and conversations of interest to policymakers who are concerned with managing technical debt within their organizations. Get the millstone of technical debt off the neck of your organization!
Go For It: Sometimes It's Easier If You RunBad boss, long commute, troubling ethical questions, hateful colleague? Learn what we can do when we love the work but not the job.
303 Tips for Virtual and Global TeamsLearn how to make your virtual global team sing.
101 Tips for Managing ChangeAre you managing a change effort that faces rampant cynicism, passive non-cooperation, or maybe even outright revolt?
101 Tips for Effective MeetingsLearn how to make meetings more productive — and more rare.
Exchange your "personal trade secrets" — the tips, tricks and techniques that make you an ace — with other aces, anonymously. Visit the Library of Personal Trade Secrets.
If your teams don't yet consistently achieve state-of-the-art teamwork, check out this catalog. Help is just a few clicks/taps away!
Ebooks, booklets and tip books on project management, conflict, writing email, effective meetings and more.