The history of planning dates back to the great constructions. It was not possible to build the Egyptian pyramids and the Great Wall of China without strict planning. Today, the construction industry and the software industry, which uses the metaphor of "architecture" in its projects, are very successful in planning. Presumably, the high costs and risks impose good planning, so these sectors are becoming more and more competent in planning.
In more informal sectors, adaptation ability fills the gap in planning will: If the plan is not required to be strict or not considered indispensable, processes and work quality cut loose, individuals and institutions tend to be the least common. The enormous difference between the demands and budgets of customers makes planning impossible. Hence, adaptation becomes a must.
What if we employed the will to plan and the ability to adapt together? Would Anglo-Saxon law be an example? In that lawmaking process, experiences accumulated in an enormous archive for hundreds of years provide a basis for dealing with a current problem. Decision makers, in each and every decision they make, refer to an enormous accumulation of past experiences, and contribute to it as well.
In the essay “Unprojectified”, I wrote the following: “It is attractive to move fast, and to make it up as we go along, learning through the journey. However, we have to invest the necessary time on project planning. All the partners should be included so that the excitement never fades away while we use our axes (sharpening them once in a while) to find our way.” If we rely on peer experiences where planning is difficult, we may well find our way in the forest called “the business world”.
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