Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

"If it’s going to be, it’s up to me." —Robert H. Schuller

If you want anything done, give it to a busy person. But perhaps, this is true only up to a point. One’s carrying capacity can be maxed out. Anyone who is both efficient and effective has mastered many times by trial and error over some length of time that fine blend of mixing the art and science of planning his work and working his plan. How? By thinking things through, prioritizing, sequencing and when necessary, improvising to stay within timetables and resources and keeping a laser-like focus on the goal while keeping your balance. It’s a tall order yet doable. Anyone, determined enough, can get things done.

Nowhere is this life skill more put to the test than here in America where a person’s worth, whether you like it or not, is measured by his productivity, his creativity, and his results. It is a skill needed to navigate a person’s day-to-day life. The major strides in technology have enhanced man’s capability to multi-task. Picture the modern version of Everyman running on a treadmill juggling multiple roles. No matter how much you want to buck the system, there is no way you can get around the fact that in order to thrive, let alone survive at this time and in this place, the life skills one needs to acquire and develop some level of competence in, are in the areas of planning and working the plan.

You know what a delight it is to work on a project that has been well conceived and well planned. And when a plan comes together in seamless fashion, everything is as smooth as silk. On the flip side of the coin, you know how aggravating it is to be involved in one that is a mess from the beginning conceived by one who seems to be running around like a headless chicken. History bears out that most of the great leaders of all time, whether in politics, in industry and in business are supreme planners. And contrary to common belief, these planners see the big picture but do not feel that it is beneath them to roll up their sleeves and work on the nitty-gritty themselves. God is in the details. So is the devil.

Planning helps you to see the goal very clearly. Planning makes it possible to signal your intentions to others so adjustments can be made in the early stages of the project. In freeway driving, it is not only courteous to signal your intention when changing lanes to let other drivers either speed up or slow down to make room for your move, it is the safe and prudent thing to do. Planning, like your left and right turn signals on your car, is a communication tool that gets feedback from within the team.

Henry Ford, who had a hand in perfecting the assembly line production technique once said, "Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs." As you flesh out the details of a project, the number of sub-tasks and the sequence with which these smaller tasks need to be done becomes clearer. Assigning who does what further breaks down the job to smaller and manageable bite sizes. Of course as the overseer, your task is to monitor progress of each component of the project and see that each one contributes to the overall goal. Inspect what you expect. Never assume. Ultimately, the value of planning brings you full circle as it helps you stay focused on the goal and get the job done on time and within budget. Getting things done and looking back at a job well done is gratifying for it somehow validates your self-worth.