Hal Macomber always has interesting things to say about the world project management. In Misunderstanding Project Planning as Anticipation he is thinking about the essence of planning (in response to something he heard in the political sphere).
Let's look at the essence of planning.
- Planning is preparation for future action.
- Planning is a conversation.
- Planning leads us to promising.
Anticipating the future is the job of forecasters not project managers. Good project managers know they can't predict the future. The very best project managers make a habit of continuously re-planning their projects with the people who are performing the work.
Just in case it isn't clear, "continuously re-planning" doesn't mean rejiggering the project plan. But it does mean that the project manager has a means to take the pulse of the project and respond to the reality of the project as it happens. It's continuing to have that conversation while the project is executing.