16 Apr When a Plan Has to Change

Remember the show, The A Team? I loved that show and I especially loved the line George Peppard would often say:  “I love it when a plan comes together.”

There is something so thoroughly satisfying when all the hard work you’ve done to create and implement a plan comes off without a hitch. However, many is the time when the plan needs to be adjusted at the last minute and how well you can flex and make it work is up to you.  Can you do it?  Can you keep calm and make a change or changes?

This can be crazy-making thinking.  Is this why I have this tendency to do my best work at the last  minute?  For days and weeks depending on the event, I ponder, think, create and envision what I will do.  Even when time starts to run out I am still in creating mode.  Make sense to you?  Yea, doesn’t make sense to me some times when I consider the stress it adds to my life.

I tell myself it brings out the creative side of me.  And then of course, if plans change at the last minute I tell myself I can float the change. After all, not everything is written in stone so I can adjust.

Is it just me or does that sound a bit lame?  I know.  But tell me, how do you make those last minute changes?  Do you grab the opportunity to try something new? Do you tell everyone who will listen to you how unfair that is and how it has taken you forever to set the plan and now someone has taken it upon themselves to ruin it?  On purpose? Just to get at you?

People can learn a lot about you on how you handle those kinds of situations.  Managers are often watching to see how you choose to react when things go awry. If you fall apart, not so good for you.  If you take the challenge and work to make it come together albeit with some unexpected changes, that shouts big kudos to you.  What’s even better is seeing the need to make changes and preempting some potential disaster.  Now that’s a winning move!

What can you do?

•  create some alternatives during the initial planning stages “just in case”
• avoid planning elements that do not allow for any flexibility
• ask yourself lots of “what if” questions and then line up possible alternatives
• get some fresh eyes on it before implementation begins
• breathe and know that no one is out to get you; it just happens

More often than not plans change and just the mention of the word, change, makes people crazy.  You can probably spot them right away.  Their immediate response is to run, hide somewhere and hope it will all just go away.  Nice when that happens; mostly in fairy tales.  However, muster the courage, be strong and face the need to change like it’s your golden key to opportunity.  Jump in.  Get on board.  Pick up the challenge and amazing things will happen.

Just you see.