Planners vs. Doers

Often, everything from project plans to business development plans to career plans don't always work as intended.

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
Share

To understand why, it is important to understand the psychological concepts of ego depletion and decision fatigue.

Quote: We are superior planners but become inferior doers as our environment exerts its influence through the course of our day. Marshall Goldsmith.

Many of us would simply prefer to “Get to Work” and start doing things, but we intellectually know that it’s important to create a plan so we can prioritize then execute most effectively. 

Most things that come in “Off-Plan” are due to failures in disciplined execution rather than bad plans or lack of capabilities. 

  • Focus heavily on the routine processes that will help you achieve your plan.  
  • Create regular habits and routines that keep you and your team on-track. 
  • Build motivation through disciplined execution.

Marshall Goldsmith does a great job discussing these in his book Triggers, including 6 Daily Questions we should all ask ourselves.




Accurate Projections - The Tale of Two Project Managers
Few things will improve operational execution for contractors faster than a rigorous project review and projection process. Projections are really just continuous planning, learning, refining and adjusting.
Cash Flow Tip 17 - Cascading Reporting Systems
Developing rigorous weekly Operating Rhythms in your business will help everything run smoother just like they do at the project level.
Conceptual Estimating - Turning Drawings Into Estimates
Conceptual estimating requires a contractor to take early stage conceptual drawings and turn them into detailed estimates with a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) that is useful during the initial programming, schematic, and design development phases.