Bill Walsh - Planning the First 25 Plays

Construction success depends on both the ability to rigorously plan as well as the ability to quickly react to changing field conditions.

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
D. Brown Management
July 1, 2018 2 minute read
Share

This is similar to sports and a lot can be learned from the disciplines of great coaches.  What keeps most project teams from planning in more detail?

Quote: If you want to sleep at night before the game, have your first 25 plays established in your own mind the night before that. Bill Walsh.

If we know that conditions are going to change once we start then why waste all this time planning?

  • Bill Walsh describes this as the ability to see patterns once the game begins that allow you to make quick changes.  
  • Dwight (Ike) D. Eisenhower described it perfectly “In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable.”   The process of planning; if done correctly by the right facilitator will prepare the team for variables when they start. 
  • Every great coach, military and business leader focuses their teams on a relentless practice of the basics so that those are committed to habit.  This also lets them react extremely quickly to changes in condition.
  • When a team has a shared mental model of the project and the plan in their minds then they will always be reacting in a way that moves the whole team closer to the original plan.  

All teams can benefit from having an experienced and unbiased 3rd party training them on good planning practices. 

Schedule a call to learn more about how we help construction teams improve

Be Specific About Problems
The business of construction is filled with constant problems. It’s not that great contractors don’t have problems, it's that great contractors have learned how to troubleshoot first, which allows them to learn from their problems faster.
Related Article
Aligning Projects and People
The business of building is largely about aligning projects and people. Contractors exist to build projects. People design and build the projects. The management team, structure, and systems bring it all together.
Related Article
Rockstars, M&M's, Safety, and Contractor Growth
As projects and contractors grow in size and complexity, it is impossible for leaders to be everywhere and see everything, yet they are 100% accountable for the outcomes. Leverage simple indicators like a rockstar to quickly identify areas of concern.
Related Article