Window of perfection

It was my birthday on the weekend and a strange thing happened. Everything went exactly right. I'm not just saying that I just had a good time, I really do mean that everything went exactly to plan (or better) and not a single unexpected thing detracted from the evening.

Here are a few examples taken from my slightly hazy memory of the evening:

• Guest list increased from 15 to 26 in the week leading up to the day
• Of the 26 it was unclear how many were for dinner and who was meeting after so I booked for 20
• Exactly 20 people arrived for the fabulous dinner
• Everyone paid (how often does that happen?)
• 10 people were left for the second drinks venue. Exactly filling the waiting Maxi-Taxi
• The club was packed but the perfect booth seating all 10 was found within metres of the bar
• Taxi home was a Silver service Mercedes-Benz for the price of a regular yellow cab
• Everyone pulled up well after bacon the next morning

I think it's important to look out for rare moments in life like these as pretty much everything we attempt has some sort of associated risk. I attribute much of the success of evening to forward planning and a great group of people that were all ready to adapt to change.

My tips for planning ahead:

1. Break it into phases
2. Set loose goals not definite plans
3. Add alternatives to minimise risk
4. Consult and communicate
5. Have fun with it

This can be applied to the workplace or home life. By breaking an activity into pieces the plan becomes more manageable. Setting loosely defined plans rather than a strict schedule allows the people involved to make changes without feeling tied down or unduly pressured.

Alternatives or contingency plans to put in place could be as simple as having the cash for a taxi if your designated driver is unavailable or saving your presentation onto a DVD in case the network is unavailable. Once you have the outline let others check your plan and provide feedback. Make whatever alterations you like then communicate as the working plan. Other changes will probably come but by communicating early you will likely get more interest or support.

Lastly don't forget to acknowledge everyone that made it possible.

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Thought for the day : A schedule is just a another name for a bunch of things on a list with times when you really hope they won't go horribly wrong.