The first time I heard the term “backwards planning” I thought it was a mistake. The last thing I wanted was to be backwards about my planning. But that’s not what they meant at all. Today we’ll talk about what backwards planning is and how you can use this technique to develop a successful plan every time.
Begin With the End in Mind
In a nutshell, Backwards Planning means what Steven Covey calls beginning with the end in mind – know what you want and when you want it, then work backwards from that point to figure out all the things that need to happen first to make it come true.
The Military used this method in World War II when planning for D-Day. D was the day the assault was to happen. For everything to go right, they knew that at D-1 day all the soldiers have get from the ships to the landing craft; before that, at D-2 they had to load the ships, so D-4 all the boats had to be ready for loading, etc., that sort of thing. It was backwards planning.
Thanksgiving Example: T-Day
Since we’re not likely to plan a major amphibious operation any time soon, let’s take an example a little closer to home and we’ll walk through the steps. Since it will be Thanksgiving in a few days, let’s plan for T-day.
1. Visualize the Desired Result. First, visualize what the end looks like: Kickoff for the game between the Cowboys and Panthers is at 4:30 this Thursday; we’re all on the couch well fed, happy, and the kitchen is clean.
2. List Tasks and Times in Reverse Order. Next – working backwards from there, list the necessary steps and how long each will take to get to that point.
- 4:00 PM Grandma insists the kitchen is clean before the game, and cleaning is a team effort, so need to plan 30 minutes go get it done after dinner, that means we have to be done eating by 4:00
- 2:30 PM The meal itself? Let’s figure 90 minutes of good eating and conversation, so we have to sit down by 2:30.
- 9:00 AM Of course the turkey has to be cooked first; according to RealSimple.com, an 18 lb stuffed turkey will take 4:30 to cook at 325 degrees, so turkey has to go in no later than 9:00 AM
- 12:00 AM Oh, and it’s a frozen turkey. We’ll have to use the cold water method – we will need about 9 hours for that.
So somewhere around midnight Wednesday night, we need to pull the turkey out of the freezer and stick it in some cold water to start thawing.
What we’ve just done is identify the critical path of what has to happen to get us on the couch by kickoff.
3. Plan Supporting Tasks the same way. In the remaining steps, you might want to do the same thing for any supporting jobs, like when to make the green bean casserole.
4. Assign Responsibility. And lastly, figure out who is responsible for making each step happen.
Backwards Planning – The Takeaway
When planning for your next event, start with the end in mind. Picture what you want it to look like, then work backwards to identify what needs to be done and when in order to achieve your vision. Investing a little time to do this up front will significantly increase the likelihood that what you get at the end was what you were hoping for in the beginning.
Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving
Lead On!
