ARKADIUSZ JANISZEWSKI
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Plan Is Not a Strategy: How I Turn My Wish List into a Precise Execution Plan
FRAMEWORK
In my last post, I described the "Debriefing Ritual" - a process that transforms the chaotic thoughts at the end of a rotation into a ready-to-action plan. But what I called the "ready-made plan" back then is really only half the story.
It's the raw material. Necessary, but not sufficient.
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Enemy: "Naive Plan"
I call this crude list of points, culled from the debriefing, a "naive plan" or "wish list". It contains accurate observations and good intentions, but it is fragile. It lacks the diagnostic depth and structure necessary for implementation. It is a list of problems, not a map of solutions.
Such a plan, thrown into the whirlwind of daily duties upon returning to work, almost always loses to the "gravity of everyday life." Good intentions are crushed by the crush of urgent, but not necessarily important, tasks.
Solution: Framework as a Specialist Clinic
That's where the Framework module comes in. I treat it like a specialized medical clinic, and my "naive plan" is a patient who arrives at the emergency room. The process is simple, but its effect is revolutionary:
- Patient arrives: I enter my rigorous list of debriefing points into the module.
- Doctor makes a diagnosis: The Framework analyzes the nature of each problem. Is it a quality issue? A conflict within the team? A bottleneck in the process? A communication problem?
- Doctor writes a prescription: Based on the diagnosis, the system selects a precise "medicine" - one of 13 built-in, proven methodologies designed to solve specific problem classes.
Proof: Methodologies in Action
Let's see this with two examples from my last list:
Example 1: Quality Problem
- Item from the "Naive Plan": "Item 3: 'Repeating errors in reports from department X.'"
- Diagnosis Framework: Nature of the problem: systematic quality error, the cause of which is unknown.
- Methodology Used: Root Cause Analysis (RCA). The system doesn't give me a ready-made answer. Instead, it guides me through a series of "5 Whys" questions so I can discover for myself that the source of the problem isn't employee sloppiness, but an ambiguous input procedure that allows too much room for interpretation.
Example 2: Team Conflict
- "Naive Plan" Item: "Item 5: 'Tensions between Team A and Team B are slowing down the project.'"
- Diagnosis Framework: Nature of the Problem: Unresolved interpersonal conflict that is escalating and impacting operations.
- Methodology Used: Kepner-Tregoe Method. The framework generates an analysis template for me that forces me to objectively separate facts from assumptions, identify points of disagreement, and prepare a structured mediation meeting.
The Result: From Wish List to Execution Strategy
After this process, I no longer have a list of seven problems in my hand. I have a portfolio of seven precise, ready-to-implement mini-strategies. Each one is based on a battle-tested methodology, perfectly tailored to the nature of the specific challenge. Instead of hoping that "somehow it will work out," I have the engineering confidence that I'm approaching each problem correctly.
Conclusion: The Difference Between a Plan and a Strategy
This is the difference between "having a plan" and "having a strategy."
The former provides the illusion of control. The latter delivers real results.
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