The quote in the image is something my therapist told me once. I am a people pleaser, to a fault at times. I want all of my clients, contractors and tradesmen I work with to be happy. BUT I cannot control what I cannot control. And that is a lack of planning by others.

The design and construction industry is all about planning. All we do is plan and deal with issues that arise constantly from having several separately  working entities, trades wanting to do their own thing. But with a plan in place we at least have a greater end goal to work for. When a plan is in place you are able too concisely share your vision with your team. There is better collaboration, better problem solving, better outcomes when the planning has been done.

When you fail to plan, you cannot expect others to pick up the pieces, to see what you see, without any real direction there will be chaos and failure.

planning successfully looks something like this

  • Allocate and obtain resources, both internally and externally
  • Prepare for contingencies
  • Monitor progress against plans
  • Take prompt action on any variance
  • Evaluate performance and develop better plans for the future
What is your objective?
Other criteria which must be specific and clear, include:
  • What standards are expected (quality, cost, volume)?
  • What resources will be available, internal and external?
  • What constraints are there?
  • How long have you got?
  • Are there any other variables that you need to be aware of, for example the environment or situations that may affect the plan?
As the plan will be implemented by people, it is vital that they are briefed accordingly. They will need to know what the overall plan is:
  • The big picture
  • What their role is within the plan
  • Responsibilities
  • Outcome expected of them
  • Specific targets
This is the key activity during implementation:
  • Are standards being maintained?
  • Are things going according to plan?
  • Are people working well together?
  • Are you on time?
  • Do you need to take corrective action/modify the plan?

Planning is just the start, but if you don’t have a handle on your finances and an end goal, then you are simply throwing money to the wind. Planning takes time. I would say smartly start planning your construction project 9-12 months out. Take your time, research your options and get your act together. Planning is everything!

Start Planning your project today. Click for a consultation or just a phone call to answer questions. Check out our site, that may answer some questions for you as well