Favourite quotes about planning

I adapted this one a bit.

"Got to my P6 Fundamentals class a bit late, made some lousy excuse as I was still a bit hungover. Just slid down my desk and hoped no one would ask me a question. Man am I the best Instructor ever!"

Good Planners plan ahead, so even before TF = 0, update your C.V.

I know I am a bit behind the previous posts - No pun intended.

A few I have picked up along the way from some PM's and fellow planners:

'No-one gives a s*&t about the planner until it all turns to s*&t!!'

'Phew now that I am on programme, we can cruise to the end' - project was 6 weeks late

'B doesn't always have to come after A, just as long as they are both done before C can start'

Here's one that, as far as I know, is mine (leaving the door open to the possibility that I heard it somewhere years ago and forgot):

"Project management is what you are forced to do when you don't Plan"

This concept reveals my disappointment with the lack of planning and scheduling talents in most project managers, or perhaps I should say, the lack of interest.

Hi R.



Will they be allowed to use their zimmer frames?



Best regards



Mike T.

:) Nice one Rafael...



For the sake of fight money, there’s a plan to put Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield in a fight, where I don’t know yet.



Best regards,

R. Catalan

Sorry to say but the best weight division to watch this time and always is at welterweights (the likes of Pacman, Floyd, Shame Mosley, etc.).



Heavywights should fight at Shamu Stadium.

Rafael,



During the catch-up weight fight between Floyd Mayweather and Juanma Marquez at 143 lbs., Floyd was penalized for coming overweight (allowed by a clause in the contract). But Floyd did that to take advantage of the weight different especially Juanma was a natural lightweight. The money he paid is nothing compare to what he earned, and to tell everyone that he’s still the P4P King (self-declared).



Mike,



Sorry to say but the best weight division to watch this time is at welterweights (the likes of Pacman, Floyd, Shame Mosley, etc.) Floyd and Shane will fight this May 1st.



Best regards,

R. Catalan

Hi Rafael & Catalan



Boxing seems to have hijacked this topic - did anyone notice the Hayemaker retained a HEAVYWEIGHT title for Britain last night?



Personally I am not in favour of violent sport but nothing turns me on more than watching two sweaty bucks knocking hell out of each other.



How about you Carmen - please discuss.



Best regards



Mike Testro

Catalan,



I believe boxing rules shall require a boxer for a minimum of punches per round, if he does not throw in order to over protect himself a warning should be in order before disqualification. Many people paid a lot of money to watch the fight and we at home even when between a group of friends share the cost of “pay per view” is expensive.



There is another rule I do not agree, is about when a Boxer not making the weight, the fight is not valid for a title but if the other boxer accepts it for the money it can go. If the other fighter do not accepts, then the fight is cancelled, but what about the time and expenses already incurred. Those who do not make the weight shall be held responsible in some way.



Juanma is good but worries me how he protects his hands, is like there is some problem, only time will tell, maybe there is no problem at all.



Best regards,

Rafael

Hi Francis



I have been married - to the same lady - for 43 years.



You get less time for murder.



Best regards



Mike Testro

In marriage life, can we plan to have multiple relationships?.. Oh!... You should have Early and late dates to leave and arrive at home....So much constraints it have...Husbands must be at home per day... Take note, pooring of concrete should not be delayed caused by others.



If you are always delay and your wife catch you? Can you request for time extension (EOT) for your marriage?....Im sure your wife will suggest for acceleration plan...



Im sorry Im tired. I have to sleep...

In our time, Einstein theory of Relativity has been proven.. YES!.... After decades of research.......No!......I can’t even imagine how to plan a project if BACK TO THE FUTURE MOVIE and TIME TRAVEL exists today..



Can you have a plan in a 4 dimensional world?

Living without a plan is like walking without a sight.

Hi All



Lets not forget Andrew Dick’s contribution to another thread - A Little Light Relief:





It is a bad plan that admits of no modifications. - Publius Syrus 42 BC



Hi Gwen



The point is that since girls have no balls of their own to juggle with they spend most of their time planning to juggle someone elses.



Best regards



Mike Testro

Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.

Warren Buffett



In Planning:

Sitting in the shade - keyboard jockeys (replacement)



Who planted - excellent planner who do the program but already left for better offer

Real Life Quote when asked why women make better Planners than men?



Why? Women can juggle more than two balls at the same time.



Ohhh I just know I will get crucified for that one!

Hi Stephen



I know very little about Jack Hobbs but I was once a millionaire.



After 4 years work in Tokyo I came back with a million in the bank - Yen that is.



Worth about 4 cents in Zimbabwe today.



The way the Bank of England is printing money we could all be £ millionairs and envy the slumdogs in Bombay for their upmarket lifestyle.



Funny old world innit.



(1st centrury to England after they won the toss - it aint over til the last over)



Please don’t try to explain the intricacies of the game to Charleston - he is already a world expert on the subject.



best regards



Mike Testro

"Is there a positive way for a poor man like me to live like a king, ala Slumdog Millionaire."



Only if you know that Jack Hobbs had 197 first class centuries.

Anoon,



Your post is so sad, full of gloom



While it is true that planning is weathering the present financial crisis,



Is there a positive way for a poor man like me to live like a king, ala Slumdog Millionaire.



Cheers,

Happy Planning and Scheduling

Rafael,



Clottey knows that he’s going to be defeated by Pacman and instead of using his other skills, he stick to his signature tight defense to keep his record of not losing by a KO. Hatton and Cotto are better respected by trading punches with Pacman.



If Clottey took 1,200+ punches from Pacman, he’s taking more now that even fellow Ghanaians have participated in slamming him for his poor performance.



Beyond Pacman, I have great respect of Juan Manual Lopez. He’ll keep the flag of Puerto Rico flying with boxing championships. I would like to see him fighting in 140-147 lbs like Pacman.



Our profession is as challenging as boxing.



Best regards,



R. Catalan

Planning is weathering the crisis.



If you are rich, then live poor.



If you are poor, then remain poor.

Your schedule is as good as the wall paper.

"Keep learning and if you don’t know then ask someone who does."



-- Mike Testro

I’m just preparing my impromptu remarks.

Winston Churchill



Planning is the work a manager does to master the future.

Louis Allen



Chris Oggham

Planning is a project team effort to set out what are the project goals and ...



How the project team intend to identifies activities and resources to achieve goals.



Scheduling is the process of correlating identified planned activities in a logical and realistic way of identifying durations, start date and finish date.



Cheers,

Happy Planning and Scheduling

Planning requires a difficult kind of thought process, the ability to arrange a complex array of ideas and to see various combinations of effects

Thought requires effort and not all executives enjoy it.

It often involves the painful contemplation of unfortunate and undesirable events and arouses reflections on errors of the past.

To those who are inclined to be optimistic in their outlook, planning requires that pessimistic occurrences also be anticipated. The executive, who by habit is motivated by action, is not favourably inclined to sit at his desk and think.

Creative ability is in short supply. It is usually best drawn forth by a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere, although in the building industry, strains, pressures and tensions may make it difficult to find one. Intellectual activity is frequently ridiculed by those who lack respect for it and there are cases of executives who are so sensitive on this point that they go to great lengths to avoid being caught thinking.

~K Paul Building Organisation 2

A Trust Publication 1982

Technical Publications Trust

Propect Place Perth WA 6000

From my collection:



One day my Boss asked me to submit a status report to him concerning a project I was working on. I asked him if tomorrow would be soon enough. He said, "If I wanted it tomorrow, I would have waited until tomorrow to ask for it!" (New business manager, Hallmark Greeting Cards)



"This project is so important, we can’t let things that are more important interfere with it." (Advertising/Marketing manager, UPService)



"Doing it right is no excuse for not meeting the schedule"



Stephen Devaux, in his book Total Project Control, quotes Dr PR Nayak:



“One area that technologically superior companies emphasize is the quality of their product planning. In most walks of life where planning is possible, people will tell you that good planning is absolutely crucial and necessary. However, almost no one does it. We have wondered why, and can only surmise that they don’t know how to, don’t have time, or can’t see the benefits.”



Dr FJ Bromilow (CSIRO)

“Late completion of building contracts is a source of inefficiency, financial loss, and intense irritation in the industry. The differences between expectation when the contracts were entered into on the one hand and the reality on the other are substantial and larger than commonly supposed. Of 329 contracts taken from a wide range of environments and building types, but not including housing, only one contract in eight was completed on or before the time originally expected and the overall average extra time exceeded 40 per cent.”



Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, then starting on the first one.”



Seneca (ca 4BC - AD65) “Gladiator in arena consilium capit”The gladiator is formulating his plan in the arena (i.e., too late)

here’s mine: Plan to Act or Act to Plan? What is Planning without Acting?

To Mike:



Your quote:



"As built programmes are a record of the triumpb of time and circumstance over human endeavour"



Where is planning here??



I do respect your orientation as claim analyst. You do need the as built programme for without as built programme, it will be a lot of hell to do your work.



Cheers,

Happy Planning and Scheduling

Dear Carmen,



I also like your planning philosophy:



"Planning is a team exercise where I hear and get involved with each one of the participants. I get involved with each work process that I need to plan. I take the opportunity to optimize work process with the help of the responsible of the work. At doing this, you need leadership to attract people to the act of planning."



I remember a newbei in planning: Punch, punch and punch the keyboard of the computer. That is planning to him.



Cheers,

Happy Planning and Scheduling

But there is a lesson learned from this fight that a planner may be interested.



because in every situation it is always fighting. Even here in PP. And I love fighting. This is what real men are made for. And there are lots of different types of fighting: some could be low level intensity conflict, some could be de-stablization, office sabotage, office bullying, guerilla warfare, etc. This happen not only in the battlefield but also in office: office battlefield, in dealings with client representative, resolving contractual matters, etc.



What is obvious in this Pacquio - Clottey fight was the way Clottey put up too much defensive actions. These are for born losers. I always believe “the best defense is offense, because in offense I got the initiative and I can dictate the tempo.



At the end of the day, it is the well prepared and well trained fighter that will win.



This reality is the same in our day to day activities.





IMHO.



Thank you,

Scarlett

Dear Carmen,



My quote comes deep in my heart. It is a day to day experience.



So someday if I will become great men in the like of Eisenhower, Abraham Lincoln maybe someone will also quote my planning philosophy.



On the other hand, they use my quote by acknowledging not me because I’m not yet a member of immortal great men, they can say: anonymous.



Cheers,

Happy Planning and Scheduling

Hi Carmen



Brilliant thread - Here is one of mine.



"As built programmes are a record of the triumpb of time and circumstance over human endeavour"



Best regards



Mike Testro

the beauty of planning is in achieving what was plan



less than achieving the plan,



the planning is only a dream.



Wake up!!!!!



Again from the Maestro, the Sensei.



cheers

Happy Planning and Scheduling

“Most people, if you describe a train of events to them, will tell you what the result would be. They can put those events together in their minds, and argue from them that something will come to pass. There are few people, however, who, if you told them the result , would be able to evolve from their own inner consciousness what the steps were which led up to that result. This power is what I mean when I talk of reasoning backward, or analytically.” – Sherlock Holmes

Hello Carmen,



Quote by the Maestro, the Sensei:



"Planning is drawing"



It is a mental picture of what you wanted to achieve, a road map, a drawing. IMHO.



In day to day activity, when I wake up, I’m doing planning: What I want to accomplish today? How it will fit in a bigger picture of my goal, career goal, personal goal?



So I created a drawing.



If nothing is accomplish, then the plan will remains a drawing.



But



If I did accomplish my goal, then I celebrated by treating myself with eating nice and delicious food. OF course, I thank my Beloved GOD for the grace HE has given me to accomplish my plan.



Then, the cycle of planning again for the next hours, days, week will revolve and revolve.



Cheers,

Happy Planning and Scheduling

Hi, Carmen.



Actually, I mean a few different things by "Deadlines lead to deadliness" (other than the parallel spelling).



1. I believe that deadlines, whether for a project or for an activity, enable Parkinson’s Law: "Work expands to fill the time available" (a fellow traveler of Goldratt’s "Student Syndrome" -- people put things off till the last minute).



2. It is extremely rare that a deadline is really a deadline, by which I mean that the project is worthless after a given date (and there is no advantage to finishing early). I believe that planned project completion dates should be established as "targets", with clear and quantified guidelines re the implications for project value/profit of being each calendar unit earlier or later.

Then the project team should use those quantified guidelines to maximize the project value for minimal cost, resulting in maximum project profit.



In fact, in my experience, most deadlines are established by a sponsor/customer out of thin air. Sometimes more time is allowed than the scope/resources necessitate; sometimes completion prior to the deadline is absolutely impossible; but almost never is the deadline (or budget!) based in any sort of reality, because the detailed planning that’s necessary has not yet been done when the deadline is established.



Finally, the project contract should reflect the quantified targets and values of the customer in such a way as to benefit both contractor and customer in a "win/win" outcome.



Fraternally in PM,



Steve D.

"The reason we plan projects is because, after investing all that effort, we will have eliminated one of the infinite number of ways in which the project could go."



I don’t know if it is original with him, but the person I heard say it is Bill Duncan, author of the 1996 edition of the PMBOK Guide. I like it because, as with the Eisenhower quote below, it suggests (correctly!) that one of the main values of planning is that it will be of assistance in managing all the unforeseen events that WILL occur.





"Timeliness includes timelines, but deadlines lead to deadliness."



That one’s mine.



BTW, the Private Message function seems to be off. Does anyone know how I might contact PP Admin? Or Wiki Admin? Or can they contact me?



Fraternally in PM,



Steve D.

I like 5P Rule:



Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance!



Cheers

Hi Rafael,



I’m not interested with that fight, I didn’t watch actually, I’m busy (sleeping). The result is obvious before it gets started.



It’s like fighting a sweater-roundhead against your 45-day old (fried chicken), you know.



So please, let them stop raising issues like "Pacman" is on 500-year old PED, or is there something like that?



Regards

Scarlet,



Clottey threw nothing, he took no chances, that I don’t like. I saw Manny win all 12 rounds. In a way he did not allowed Pacquiau to show how good he is.



Best regards,

Rafael

Hello Rafael,



Nice to hear from you again.



This is our second round.



I still bet on the best of the best, good planning, good training... the hallmark of great planners.



Statistically, the forecast, the odds of achieving the goal to win is there.



I’ll stick with Manny.



We’ll wait for the result and hopefully we can look forward...



Thank you,

Scarlett

Scarlet and Anoon,



Hope you both are doing well. I am getting ready to watch Pacquiau Clotey fight on Pay per View. No one who likes boxing can miss a single Pacquiau fight.



My best wishes to you all and might you enjoy the event.



Best regards,

Rafael



PS. Ok Cotto lost to Paquiau but we still got the best roosters, we are the only or one of only a couple of US Territories where cockfights are legal, we even have air conditioned stadiums exclusively for cockfighting.

Hi





“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is "How to schedule- New Year’s Day.”



Many thanks



Shahul

In our scheduled life we choose critical path which might turn as a achieved goal or slip’s an opportunity

“A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow”

Quote recently from a Construction Manager.



"You just worry about reporting. We’ll sort the planning out!"