Bill Walsh - Planning the First 25 Plays

Construction success depends on both the ability to rigorously plan as well as the ability to quickly react to changing field conditions.

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
D. Brown Management
July 1, 2018 2 minute read
Share

This is similar to sports and a lot can be learned from the disciplines of great coaches.  What keeps most project teams from planning in more detail?

Quote: If you want to sleep at night before the game, have your first 25 plays established in your own mind the night before that. Bill Walsh.

If we know that conditions are going to change once we start then why waste all this time planning?

  • Bill Walsh describes this as the ability to see patterns once the game begins that allow you to make quick changes.  
  • Dwight (Ike) D. Eisenhower described it perfectly “In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable.”   The process of planning; if done correctly by the right facilitator will prepare the team for variables when they start. 
  • Every great coach, military and business leader focuses their teams on a relentless practice of the basics so that those are committed to habit.  This also lets them react extremely quickly to changes in condition.
  • When a team has a shared mental model of the project and the plan in their minds then they will always be reacting in a way that moves the whole team closer to the original plan.  

All teams can benefit from having an experienced and unbiased 3rd party training them on good planning practices. 

Schedule a call to learn more about how we help construction teams improve

Change Management Dashboards
Summarize your detailed change tracking logs with concise dashboards that give you critical information in a format that allows you to see the big picture while still having enough information to be actionable.
Related Article
Management Team Development Phases Within Each Stage of Growth
The management team leading a contractor through the different stages of growth will typically navigate three phases at each stage - Emerging, Hollow, and Ready. Understanding these phases guides growth planning, recruitment, development, and succession.
Related Article
The Basic Math of Ownership Transitions
Ownership succession for a construction business is complex. Sometimes it is best to back up and look at a really simple model to keep the three primary parties focused on what is truly important.
Related Article