Planning for every eventuality is one of the leadership factors taught at West Point. While it might sound contradictory, the best planning allows the greatest flexibility. No plan survives contact with the “enemy”— whatever form the “enemy” takes — be it time, budgets, competitors, or changing conditions. Planning for all contingencies establishes the competitive edge.

Communication and planning go hand in hand. A plan is only as good as the leader’s ability to communicate it to the team, and to receive information from the team as to whether or not things are going according to plan.

Also, learning from Failure is a key skill that must be understood and mastered by the cadets at West Point. A strong leader understands and uses the value of mistakes as a learning tool. He or she manages failure not by running from it or avoiding it, but by chasing problems and seeing how they can contribute to future success.

Activity Instructions:

The first part of the activity should be completed individually. The second part is a group activity. Tell participants they will have 15 minutes to complete the individual and group activities on the Worksheets. Ask them to choose a discussion leader for the group activity part of the Exercise.

At the 8-minute mark, suggest to the groups that they move into their group discussions.

Debrief the Activity (10 minutes)

Ask for volunteers to share any insights gained on the questions they reviewed individually. Prompt one or more participants to share how one or the other of the skill points makes a tangible difference in their department or organization.

For the group activities:

Ask one of the groups to discuss the relationship between Planning and Failure:

• How do they depend on each other?

• Is it possible to discuss one without the other?

• How do they connect in this organization’s environment?

Ask one of the working groups to share their ideas for a learning experience focused on Planning or Failure. If time permits, ask one of the other groups to share one of their ideas for a development experience on the other skill factor.

ASK:

When you think about it, discussing a failure with peers and subordinates is extremely difficult for any of us to do. Have any of you had experiences where discussing a failure has provided noticeable benefits to yourself or to the organization?

Worksheet: Planning & Learning from Failure

On Your Own

As a Group

Work together in your group to complete the following activities.

Excerpted from the Leader’s Guide to the video program Leaders of Character: Leadership - the West Point Way

Training Resource: At the US Military Academy at West Point, cadets are taught to lead with honor and character. Leaders of Character: Leadership - the West Point Way documents how it’s done and visits the workplaces of West Point grads who now apply these skills in the public and private sectors.

SAY: This exercise will allow you to focus on what works and doesn’t work for you and your organization. Let’s examine more carefully the pros and cons of taking shortcuts, versus the benefits and drawbacks of planning and preparation. We all know sometimes the only way to get the job done is to do it “now,” even if it is not done to perfection. What are some shortcuts that are currently used in your organization?

List a few of these examples on flipchart. Next, label a heading SHORTCUTS and ask for a listing of the pros. When those ideas seem depleted, move on to list the cons of shortcuts. (Note: If not suggested by the group, here’s a listing of possible responses that can be mentioned. However, it works best if you allow group members to come up with their own list. Respectful debate and dialogue will lead the group to a new appreciation of the value of each perspective.)

Elicit answers such as these:

SHORTCUTS:

Pros
• Doesn’t have to be perfect, just needs to be done
• Deadline is fast approaching
• Deal with the crisis—put out the fire
• Stay on top of change
• Customers want it ASAP
• More creative under time pressures
• Beat out the competition
• “Quick fix” is addictive…adrenaline rush

Cons
• Due to quickness, mistakes are made
• Quality suffers
• Shortcuts don’t allow for creativity, and change is a creative process
• Customers aren’t well-served
• Reactive response may be “knee-jerk”

SAY: Now let’s think about the benefits and drawbacks of planning and preparation to reach desired results. When do preparation and planning lead to successful outcomes? Let’s brainstorm about the benefits and barriers to preparation and planning.

Elicit answers such as these:

PREPARATION & PLANNING

Benefits
• Planned strategies lead to high-quality results
• Process may be as important as product
• Pride increases with a solid approach and positive outcomes
• Avoid costly mistakes—“measure twice, cut once”
• Reflects mission & values of organization

Barriers/Drawbacks
• Can lead to paralysis by over-analysis
• Takes too long — everyone expects instant results
• Too much focus on the future draws attention away from current concerns
• Getting product to market fast is key
• Time is money
• Plans in the past haven’t worked

Now let’s discuss the following three questions:
• What corners are you cutting that may be cheating those you serve?
• What areas in your organization would benefit from more thought, planning and patience?
• For both “takes shortcuts” and “great at planning and preparation,” think of someone you know who epitomizes this trait (two different people). How would you characterize each person’s level of success…at work and in life?

~Excerpted from the Leader’s Guide to the FranklinCovey/CRM video Law of the Harvest.

Need help in this area? In Law of the Harvest, Dr. Stephen Covey uses the example of a potato farmer to make the point that, in any walk of life, your final result will only be as good as the effort you put into doing the task right. Taking shortcuts typically hurts your chances for long-term success.