“We must use time as a tool, not as a crutch.” JFK
Time, as measured in seconds, hours, days, or even years, is the same for everyone. How time is perceived is much different. friend or foe? Time, a faithful companion of consistency, can serve as a loyal ally or clever adversary. Time can both sneak up and blindside you, or act as a guide as you navigate from one task to another. Time is everyone’s most valuable resource. How it’s used and managed can often determine success or failure.
“What may be done at any time will be done at no time.” Scottish Proverb
Effective backwards planning is a time management technique that provides the structure and organization needed to successfully complete tasks. A simple concept, often overlooked by most, is to start at the end, determine dates, times, critical concerns and create an action task list which uses shifting priorities as the highlighting feature. Shifting priorities is a system that insures the highest-level tasks are done first.
A shifting priorities system is based on two key factors; time sensitivity and critical to project completion order. The realization of certain sub-tasks needing to be completed in order to accomplish the job is normally the part of project management that stumps normal folks. Strictly adhering to a shifting priorities action list recovers many hours of simply deciding what to do next, when to do it and how long you should spend executing the various sub-tasks.
Ultimately, time is the coach that maintains your focus and discipline. It prepares you for a target goal. Time constraints should not be intimidating show stoppers. Deadlines are no more than end lines in a successful and well orchestrated backwards plan.
The time needed to complete a task is minimized when backwards thinking is employed. In other words, going from point Z to point A is more efficient than A to Z. By backtracking from task completion, you will understand what key steps are necessary to complete your final objective. The line is much straighter when you plan from Z to A. When the absence of backwards planning is evident, the culprit most often tends to be shortsighted missteps when moving to point C or impulsive excursions to D or F. These notions can be avoided by effectively using backwards planning. A backwards-planning map will keep you streamlined and focused against time and mission lapses.
Backwards planning should also be used for longer-term goals or projects. Where do you want to be financially or career wise five years from now? How do you get there? What is your current 90-day plan? Backwards planning keeps you on track. Sub tasks and checklists demand self-assessment. You should periodically ask yourself, if I’m not where I should be at predetermined check point, what can I do to get there? Effective time management motivates goal attainment. Planning ignorance fosters complacency which is a place where time and achievement move at different speeds
Tags: project management, backwards planning, 90 day plan, time management technique, backwards planning map, Articles, project completion order
Tags: 90 day plan, backwards planning, backwards planning map, project completion order, project management, time management technique
This entry was posted on Monday, March 29th, 2010 at 12:48 pm and is filed under Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Marie,
I agree with you that the ’stand down’ tool is one of the brightest lights in my space. I too use this on a daily basis and I have to say that it has saved me both embarrassment and hardship from not having to do the impossible, which is to take something back that you didn’t really mean to say or do in the first place. I will share your comments with others.
Thank you.
Bill,
There is nothing like a great reminder for those of us who have so many commitments to keep up with. Your point about perishable skills certainly resonates with the use it or lose it motto.
Thank you.
When you first introduced me to the Backwards Planning concept, I drew a blank. I never really had a game plan longer than 30 days out at best, let alone 1, 3, or 5 years. When I explained to you all of the areas I needed help, financial was at the top of my list. If I didn’t make the necessary changes immediately I was set up for doom. My favorite saying is “without a plan, plan to fail.” Thank you for introducing the monthly Cash Flow to me. Thank you for showing me how to face a difficult matter and hit it head on rather than running from it. No matter where you go, there will be another situation just like it. Learning how to stand down has been one of the tools that I used daily, and what it difference it makes.
Jesse,
Great article……I forgot what a valuable tool this is simply because I didn’t develop the habit of implementation. “All skills are perishable”, thank you for reminding me to be a more efficient planner!
-Bill