I often coach leaders struggling with what to do, how to support, People Who Resist Planning (PRP’s.) From the C-suite to VP’s and Directors and Managers, this phenomenon occurs at all levels of organizations of all sizes and all stages…from scaling startups to the Fortune 100 and nonprofits, from technology to manufacturing companies.
Visible Symptoms…Or Not?
PRP’s are often racing to the finish line, putting out fires, struggling to coordinate all the steps of their projects. They may even miss deadlines or critical steps when it seems to you there is enough time to have anticipated and addressed them more proactively, more effectively.
Other examples of little time and energy for planning are submitting expense reports at the last minute and delaying other routine tasks. My best friend, a good fit for her sales role, submitted expenses at 11:55pm on New Year’s Eve when the deadline for reimbursement ended at midnight as her husband and I waited to celebrate with her.
Leading & Leveraging Differing Strengths
Most of us have worked with colleagues who naturally create structure and order, insist on agendas before meetings and bringing closure by clarifying next steps before adjourning.
Whether they’re bosses, coworkers, direct reports, or collaborators, these people are great at making sure the trains run on time…and on the tracks.
But how do you and your organization leverage the gifts of people who are more likely to be chasing the train as it’s leaving the station, or taking shortcuts, or skipping steps in the system, rather than following established processes?
The Paradox of Planning & Systems
Long-term projects without structure and regular accountability are a potential train wreck for PRP’s. They’re likely to be behind schedule and over-budget.
Although PRP’s may resist process, structure provides essential support for their productivity and success. PRP’s innately strive to keep the path forward open and flexible, but they likely don’t recognize this pattern in themselves.
The best remedy for this is the very structure and deadlines they resist because they require convergence. Weekly progress updates and accountability with you, as well as frequent team meetings, keep them on track and on time.
“Franklinstein” & Her Planner
After I started my marketing career at Helene Curtis (now Unilever,) we received training in Franklin Covey’s planning system. I quickly earned the nickname “Franklinstein” because I was obsessed.
I had somehow survived my first job in litigation consulting, and business school at Michigan, without any organization or time management skills. To be given a system that laid it all out for me was a truly life-changing, career-saving gift!
Do What You’re Good At
Role alignment is always important, but it’s essential to success for PRP’s. Some are fortunate to have found (or created) jobs that don’t require significant planning.
One client who leads the IT function, including the Help Desk, for their organization leans into his resistance to planning. His flexibility serves him well in his role with new challenges arising constantly and the need to shift gears quickly and effortlessly with little notice.
Another key to his success is his humility and understanding of the need for planning, as well as his appreciation of the CIO’s (his manager), insistence on it. They work closely together to fill his blind spot and balance their differing strengths.
Business Besties
Another career-saving serendipity happened in the last role of my corporate career. Not long after I was promoted to Director of Gatorade Package & Product Innovation, I was assigned the project of redesigning our product development process. This was a high visibility project that required coordinating 40+ active innovation, commercialization, and cost savings projects including monthly cross-functional meetings with 40+ people and multimillion-dollar budgets.
I had deep knowledge of the projects and people, but absolutely no idea where to start on revamping a complex process for a multibillion-dollar brand. My boss didn’t intentionally set me up to fail, but it was an assignment in direct opposition to my unique strengths with no related work experience on which to build.
Thankfully, the consultant hired to work on the project with me had perfectly complementary strengths to mine. She took all of the ideas and insights I had from working with the teams and structured them into a cohesive, refined process that delivered exactly what the business needed.
Know Yourself & Your People
Knowing how to support yourself and your people, including your PRP’s, and who to partner for maximum productivity is critical to success.
Whether you’re a natural-born train conductor, or struggle with consistently planning to support your team, you can create significant positive impact by understanding these patterns and how to appreciate and leverage the differing strengths of your people.
