Network Dictionary – Backward Planning

I recently observed some documentation outlining the “Forward Planning” process. Lets just put the tautology to one side and realise that if Forward Planning exists, then by extension “Backward Planning” must also exist. But what could Backward Planning be ?

It can’t be the operational documentation, or the handover process. I’ve struggled to make sense of this.

After much thought, I’ve decided that Backward Planning must be the activity that occurs when reviewing the Forward Plan. That is, reviewing design documents, strategy papers, business cases, product options etc etc must be backward planning

And that is what is in my calendar from now on.