How to Get Construct Plans That Get The Best Results

For years, Stephen Covey has presented, “Begin with the end in mind” as the first of his “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” Common sense says planning is an excellent way to reach a goal.

When we have a distinct goal we want to achieve, no road is too long or impossible.” – Yuval Abramovitz

How do you go about planning?

Some people make a plan of attack in chronological order – forward planning. They note the steps they'll take first, next, and so on. Other people plan backward, starting with a visualization of the end goal, then tracing in reverse the steps they would take to get there. It is also referred to it as, End Point Vision and Beyond with Backward Chaining and reverse planning.

Researchers from the Peking University HSBC Business School, the Korea University Business School and the University of Iowa collaborated to see if goal-planning methods affected motivation and pursuit of goals. Their study suggests that starting from the finish and working backward gets the best results.

The interesting aspect of our study is that we studied how people construct plans. Prior research has shown that planning affects goal pursuit. We showed how they plan—forward or backward—affects goal pursuit." — William Hedgcock, University of Iowa

Their findings indicate that planning in reverse chronological order may not only help people have a clearer view of tasks to execute but also improve their actual performance.

Motivation highest — when we begin a project and when we are about to complete it

Motivation research has found that we tend to be the most driven and enthusiastic about a project when we begin a project and when we are about to complete it. The pile of problems, work, and hassles in the middle of the two often turn determination into frustration. Backward planners are more likely to stay motivated and accomplish their goal than those who plan from the starting point.

Over the course of five studies, they had groups of students plan their approach to general school work, unit tests, comprehensive exams, or important job interviews. Some of the participants planned their steps in chronological order. The other participants worked in reverse, planning the steps they would take just before their goal and working backward in time until they reached the step nearest in the future.

Although extensive research has shown the benefits of planning, little attention has been paid to the ways people construct plans and their impacts on subsequent goal pursuit.” — Jooyoung Park, Peking University HSBC Business School

Previous research has established that making specific plans and visualizing goals all spur goal-oriented actions and mindsets, but also that specific thought processes get in the way of goal progress. Feelings of distance to a target, the number of goals in question, and ruminating on ideas rather than actions all slow goal-setters when moving forward.

Simple goals — no difference

If a goal is short-term or requires only a couple of steps, there is no difference if you plan forward or backward. However, for complex tasks, students preparing backward anticipated the necessary steps more clearly and followed the original plan to reach the set goal. They had higher expectations for achieving their goals and felt less pressed for time during progress toward them.

This suggests that simply changing the way of constructing plans can produce different outcomes.” — Jooyoung Park

The results held in both academic and career contexts. Also, participants in some of the experiments came up with their steps to reach a goal while other experiment instructions provided steps to them. In each case, the motivating effects appeared.

Why do backward planners stay motivated longer than forward planners?

Forward planners start too far from the finish line, projecting problems in the way of their goal. However, backward planners imagine overcoming potential obstacles ahead of time. This relieves the pressure of trying to complete a project on a deadline.

We found backward planning helped people think about the intermediate steps more clearly." — William Hedgcock

Previous work in the field of goal setting, planning and motivation have identified the imagination as a motivating tool.

Retrospection is used to review events that have already happened. Using one’s imagination to think of future events as if they were in the past facilitates visualization of both the end goal and the steps required to get there. This ‘future retrospection’ increases the anticipation of pleasure from achieving the goal and helps bring about goal-directed behaviors.

Backward planning forecasts success rather than failure

If one starts at the end goal, the assumption is that efforts were successful to get there, while moving from the present to the future does not necessarily assume success. This forces the goal setter to think through obstacles that might prevent progress from happening.

Envisioning the steps necessary to complete a goal reduces anxiety, increases confidence, and leads to more effortful actions. Further, goal setters feel closer to the end goal regarding a time when they envision success rather than failure.

Broad Application

Backward planning can be used to accomplish a range of goals, such as pursuing a college degree, making career choices, creating a personal development plan, or planning a budget. Some teachers are using backward design to plan their lessons.

Moreover, while the study focused on college students, the findings could also help high schoolers and our workforce.

“End Point Vision and Beyond” teaches Backward Shaping or planning in reverse.

The System is The Solution” - Michael Gerber

Gerber suggests in The E-Myth: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It, that a business should be designed around systems rather than around people. He used franchises as an example. The vast majority (75%) of franchises succeed, compared to non-franchise businesses, which mostly fail. The reason franchises thrive is because the end state is clearly defined and they have operations manuals and procedures that specify every detail of running the business. E-myth provides a well-defined system that makes the planning process in reverse straightforward.

Backward planning has been used in many disciplines such as legal, sports, and defining a university business course. For those who view an assignment as complicated, or who feel their interest lagging halfway through a project, backward planning may help.

Behavioral Competencies

We find that all individuals who are good planners tend to be high in

• Establishes Order— Managing the orderly flow of work with a commitment to practical systems and advanced planning.

While backward planners, also tend to be high in

• Promotes Compelling Vision— Having a long-term perspective while identifying the shorter-term steps that will lead to results and the actualization of meaningful, challenging, and worthwhile goals.
• Drives Achievement— Desiring to achieve exceptional results under competitive scenarios for high ambition’s sake.

We are incredibly passionate about Behavioral DNA and the impact this scientific insight can have on you. Using SuccessFinder, you can see your traits as others see them. They see your strengths and challenges. You should know too!

High performers in a given role share a common subset of behaviors. Our talent analytics compares your behavioral traits and competencies — with top performers in a specific role.

Focusing on your strengths and managing your challenges is the secret to achieving career satisfaction and success. You complete a comprehensive assessment online, we then provide you a report and personal feedback via video call. We offer the service worldwide. We’d love to hear from you!