Management Proverbs / No One Knows When Plan B Becomes Plan A

Often, we tend to overestimate the importance of what we perceive as a critical part of a plan/initiative and cause ourselves worry/angst if that plan detail cannot be implemented. Rather than focus on the “big picture” result we are shooting for, we obsess about the missing path or detail. Worse, despite the result being spectacular to the outside world—your job, after all, is to do just that--we apologize for that missing Plan A which nobody knew about in the first place.

Such was the case with the table décor for my daughter’s wedding. What was the goal? Having a beautiful reception that pleased the bride, the groom, the parents, the guests and properly conveyed the pride and joy such an event rightfully deserves. That was the big picture.

With that goal in mind, we set-out to decorate the guest tables. The original schematic, Plan A,  was intended to be yellow roses to match the homemade limoncello and compliment the other things on the table. I am not a wedding planner and I have a lousy memory, so I have no idea what the “other things” might be. Napkins? Table cloth? Anyway, that is not the point. What is the point is that at this particular time of year, with this particular purveyor, finding enough roses to cover 15-20 tables, Plan A, was not going to happen.

So, here was this great plan for a beautiful table setting but it was not possible in that specific color scheme. This resulted in a lot of upset, consternation, tears, worry. “Yellow, schmellow. We are at Phipps Conservatory. Don’t we have enough flowers already?” I asked. I didn’t really do that—it would have been insensitive and cheap, even if mildly funny to me alone--but the thought crossed my mind. It was one of the many mild, in hindsight, stress-related faux crises that accompany any wedding, faux crises being as standard as wedding rings, vows and Bruno Mars. I know that now.

So, what happened?  Did we call off the wedding? Did the bride elope in a huff? Was there wailing and gnashing of teeth because the guests were aghast that the Plan A color combo was replaced with the Plan B color combo?

The answer, of course, is that nothing happened but a very lovely wedding reception. In another testament to my faulty memory, I don’t remember—and venture that no one else remembers—Plan B. Some in the wedding entourage, no names, do not remember the “Incidente” (as Italiano as limoncello) at all, although my son-in-law does. I knew I liked him. Maybe he was afraid my daughter would call off the wedding if it did not involve yellow roses and that trauma has stuck with him.

What everybody does remember is that the wedding venue looked beautiful. It all matched. It was first class. And was appropriate for the bride, the groom, the families, and the Phipps. Plan B, now turned Plan A, was a hit. Thing is, no one knew it was Plan B and none of us walked around the room, greeting the guests, and apologizing for the lack of yellow roses.

Many times, in our business dealings we set-out to achieve an outcome in the Plan A way, it does not go exactly the way we thought it should, we toggle to Plan B and end-up achieving the outcome anyway. And no one knows the difference except us who sweat about it. And we need to remember that to save ourselves some unnecessary stress.

Several examples.

Ever hear the expression “Don’t sell past the sale?” Ever seen it happen? Sadly, I am sure you have. Plan A is an elaborate dance with all the products, features and benefits displayed and reinforced over an expansive period of time. The sales person courts the client for months, years even. Makes demonstrations. Office visits, plant tours, more demonstrations, ballgames. Meet the decision makers. Even more demonstrations. Your company has competed against other firms and, after long last, you have won.

The client says, “I like the product, I like the proposition, and I trust you to deliver it. Where do I sign?” And then salesperson says, “First, let me tell you about these other two features….” The others in the room cringe hoping our sales hero has not blown it because the prospect is now wondering what did he miss that this guy has to keep selling me. Plan A was going through all of these other details as well, but Plan B worked just fine. Selling past the sale is reverting to Plan A. Why do that?  

The same has happened to me in board presentations. I would have a Plan A—a “strawman”— and a Plan B, a Plan C, etc. all of which I vetted before I landed on the final recommendation, the eventual Plan A. Early in my CEO career, I tended to over-communicate the options and research of an idea I was presenting to the board. Instead of just focusing on Plan C, which had morphed into Plan A, I would recount the iterations it took to get there. And, while I presented a firm proposal, board members commented that my approach made it seem like I lacked conviction in the direction I was recommending or that I was dumping the decision in their lap. Fair criticism, for sure.

For my part, I was trying to demonstrate that the direction was logical and well thought out. In a way, that approach was the wedding equivalent of going around the reception and apologizing to the guests for the purple and pink motif. Again, the board did not care—or even know about--the yellow roses or, in this case, my thorough weighing of the alternatives. Thorough vetting was expected of me and the eventual Plan A did the job. Why are you confusing the audience with the rejected alternatives?  

Both above examples illustrate another point. Even though you should not reveal the “yellow roses” facts—in the sales case that there were some other cool product features after the customer was ready to buy; or in the CEO case that other directions were vetted—it would have been foolish to not have done the research behind the other plans. Why? First, because that research helps you get to the “big picture” answer in the first place; second, because you may have gotten a question that said research would have helped answer; and, third, you have more confidence that the direction you are taking is the correct one. But there is an art to being thorough and prepared and how much of that you share to be effective.

Along the same lines, we all have done research or simulation analysis that has been exhaustive. Being thorough is a requirement of our job and how we make sure we come to the right conclusion.  But I cannot tell you how many presentations I have sat through where the presenter recounts every rabbit hole they crawled into to derive the answer.

Yes, you want to show you put in the extra effort. Great. Yes, you want to demonstrate your thoroughness. Super. Yes, you are proud of your work. Terrific. Guess what? That is expected and no one cares.

And the risk of taking your audience down these rabbit holes? They get stuck in the rabbit holes. You come across as unfocused. People lose confidence in you. They get bored. Net-net?  You fail to accomplish what you set-out to accomplish in the first place.  Yes, by all means, do the work. But do not tell us about the yellow roses. They are irrelevant.

As I said before, Julia’s wedding was a beautiful event, which was the goal. And like all successful endeavors, it took a lot of work and juggling Plan A, B, C and D, to name a few. (I will not go into the guest list, dinner selections, wine list, etc. Any parent of the soon-to-be-married knows what I am talking about.) Some Plan A’s paid off and some Plan B’s (and C’s and D’s) became Plan A’s and no one was the wiser. Yes. It caused us some stress, unnecessarily, and that is the point. So, to the stay with theme, don’t be married to Plan A. Just be married to final result and, you can honestly say, yellow schmellow. To yourself, of course.

Show A Little Faith