LEADERSHIP

EVEN SUPERHEROES NEED A PLAN • 17
stand up, speak up, and do something about it now, while
there's still a chance it'll do some good! My belief is that if
you're wondering if it's time to speak up or to wait, you already
know the answer. If you have to pitch a tizzy, you might
as well do it now. Don't allow fear or indecisiveness to trap
you, your sidekicks, your stakeholders, or your sponsor. The
"too little, too late" black hole obliterates projects one choice
at a time.
And let's take it one step farther. If you think you have just
enough time and just enough resources to achieve the outcomes
as promised, you're already in trouble—I've never seen
a perfect project, have you? Something always goes wrong,
doesn't go as planned, or is overlooked. If you have just
enough time and just enough resources, you've got just
enough time and resources to get into trouble—not enough to
deal with the heretofore unknown issues that will likely arise.
To build a safe, simple, likely-to-succeed plan, you must first
acknowledge that no plan is perfect. I recommend setting
aside a little more time and/or a few more resources than you
can identify needing. Operating at 100% capacity is a desperate
choice—when options disappear, any little problem can bring
it all down. Agility is your ally.
Right-Size Your Plan
The following illustration correlates complexity, size, and
risk with the appropriate amount of planning detail.