Plans are often the outcome of sharpened perception, deep reflection, and a broadened or deeper perspective. Yes, I know—plans matter. But let me challenge this: Great plans alone do not deliver value. What if we stopped placing unwavering faith in the Plan and instead embraced a more grounded, iterative approach—a mindset of planning as we go?
Methodology
This is your way of moving forward—your stride toward your goals. Changing our methodology changes everything.
Rather than drafting distant strategic plans and tinkering with language in polished documents, let’s engage with real challenges. That’s when real progress happens.
Tradition is not an argument
Tradition is simply history—how people have done it before. Sure, seasoned voices can guide us, but if we follow too faithfully, we risk missing new possibilities.
Beware the plan for presentation
Many organizations treat their high-level strategic plan—let’s call it Plan with a capital P—as the centerpiece.
But often, it’s created institutionally for investors—not built to guide day‑to‑day execution.
Two common issues:
- Over-optimism
Plans skew toward polished success stories and underestimate realistic risks. - Poor execution readiness
A plan built for fundraising rarely includes practical steps for daily action, risking landings far from the intended trajectory.
Shift to Planning-In-Motion
Building an organization is more than writing a plan.
It’s two distinct but complementary outputs:
- a strategic framework for investors and stakeholders
- a living approach—continually updated and applied on the ground
Link them. But don’t rely on the capital-P plan alone.
From strategy to operations
Ensure that strategy and day‑to‑day operations sit side by side—boardroom and workshop, aligned.
Let your team help shape the strategy and model—not just brainstorm ideas.
A model isn’t a template—it’s a flexible, testable structure.
Set clear goals that support the strategy, and align each department’s action plan around them. And then—be ruthlessly disciplined.
Fanatically disciplined: Use all your resources—time, energy, intelligence—to execute your action plan together. Deviation is allowed only when the team decides to adapt the plan.
But, you still need a plan
Yes—it will look like a plan.
But here’s the difference: you must remain dynamic.
- Don’t fall in love with the plan—capital P or not.
- Invite feedback, embrace criticism, discuss risks openly.
- Celebrate when deviations occur—they’re signals, not failures.
Expect deviation
Reality rarely matches our first model. Outcomes diverge—sometimes for worse, often for better.
Adapt in real time, step by step, day by day.
And if you veer off course: pivot quickly. Do not stall, apologize, or hide.
Avoid shame culture
In a blame culture, errors are failures. But they’re not. They’re information.
Celebrate those who surface challenges—they’re saving time, money, and opportunity.
Your plan is just a start
The plan is your first model—but never your final word.
Anticipate change. Love change. Lead change.
Plan out loud.
Build as you go.
Lead from reality.
P.S.
Want help learning how to live and lead through change—personally, as a leader, or as a team? I’d love to support you through training or coaching.
Until then—by all means, draw a plan. But live as a planning human.
DREIESKIVA|Roald Kvam 
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