The Importance of Planning

There are times in life when things do not go as planned. I was reminded of that truism the other day when I saw a story in the news about a 22-year-old woman who went bungee jumping off a very tall bridge in Australia. About two-thirds of the way down before reaching the full extension of her line, the rope snapped. She plunged headfirst into the river below, which also happened to be inhabited by crocodiles. Fortunately, she was able to make her way to shore where friends were. They immediately took her to a nearby medical center. As I write this, other than some cuts and bruises, she seems to be all right.

The purpose of this entry is not to comment on the wisdom of bungee jumping, particularly over crocodile-infested waters. As crazy as that may sound, I have to assume this stunt was well thought out and that every safety precaution that needed to be taken was. Despite that, it went very wrong and could have had tragic consequences. In the communications world, similar things happen on a regular basis. Well-planned designs go array. The unexpected occurs. Aspects you thought were nailed down turn out not to be so. While that's how life is from time to time, the kind of surprise experienced by that bungee jumper suggests her planning and preparation were not as thorough as they should have been.

In communication, no one can guarantee specific results, nor should they. But what professional communicators can promise clients is competence, good planning that includes solid research and preparation, consistency of effort, timely execution, and, overall, a commitment to excellence. Collectively, what these elements do guarantee is a minimum of error, a lack of preparedness for the expected, and greatly reduce the odds that goals will not be met. Planning is everything. Is is also a vital part of any sustained public relations or communication effort. A the very least, it should be.