Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

In addition to the planner’s basics, talk directly to the right people in a frank manner.

Years ago, I worked with a company VP who had success on the vast majority of his projects. His “secret” was:

1. Plan your work (in detail)
2. Work your plan (track progress in detail)

Okay, big deal. I had heard this clever little phrase first in 1980 (yes, I am that old).

This successful VP, however, had one more step:

1. Talk directly to the right people in a frank manner.

Hmm. There are several parts of this extra step:

• Talk – face to face with words
• Directly – not around the corner by triangulating rumors with people
• Right – you have to know who the right person is which means you have to know what is happening
• People – not talking to the wall or to the PowerPoint or to the…
• Frank – candid, honest, open, no riddles, no hints

There is much to this extra step. This VP did all those things, and he succeeded. Funny, all those right people with whom he spoke directly in a frank manner also succeeded.

Also, this step acknowledges that accomplishing work comprises far more than plans on the wall. People perform the work. No people – no work. People have more to do in their lives than follow my silly little plan that is stuck to the wall. I have to work in those boundaries.

Why don’t we all do this all the time? Perhaps we don’t want to know the answer to that.