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Whether you believe it or not, our lives are centered around having daily plans that ultimately determine positive or negative outcomes. Unfortunately, we take our days for granted because we are so used to the same schedule day in and day out, so we do not put too much thought into operating from written a plan but rather doing so from a verbal plan. You see, it is very easy to tell or ask someone to do something whether simple or challenging because most of us truly believe that we want forget things those things when we ask about them.

Just remember, however, if you ask or tell someone to complete a task or mission from a verbal perspective then you run the risk of an incomplete task outcome because the matter is flexible and immediate but lacks proof which can lead to misunderstandings, disputes or confusion. If you use the written perspective then you have a concrete, tangible plan which provides clarity and legal enforceability, ultimately mitigating disputes.

Verbal vs Written Plans Challenge:

Verbal Plans Activity Summary:

You as the Lead will come up with an unwritten plan that requires quick action (requires your brain power only). For the sake of time, try to do this activity at a convenient time. Now, you will verbally assign each participant a specific task to do that must be completed within 48 hours and only discussed at the end of the 48 hours. You obviously must remember what you assign each participant (your goal as the Lead is to avoid writing down the assigned task) and each participant in return must remember his/her respective task and get it done exactly as you wanted it done. At the end of 48 hours, you will meet with each respective participant, identify the assigned task and determine whether the task was completed exactly as expected. The Lead will score the completion of each task as follows (1 = Failed, 2 = Partially Completed, 3 = Completed). Please score the participants fairly and without bias. Also, be honest with yourself and your participants and discuss whether your verbal plan led to some of it being misinterpreted or parts of it even forgotten. Lastly, please send feedback regarding whether the training activity was worthwhile and please share it with others.

Written Plans Activity Summary:

The same is applicable with regards to you as the Lead and the minimum number of participants required for the training activity. However, the activity will require a more concise thought process from the Lead and more complex tasks to be completed by the participants. The Lead must outline a specific plan for a 2-day trip. For instance, “Participant 1 is responsible for ensuring all fishing gear is inventoried and working properly while Participant 2 is responsible for ensuring all tent and sleeping gear is inventoried and ready for use. The Lead will meet with his/her respective participants and present a copy of the written plan to them. The Lead will brief the overall plan as well as individual tasks within the plan to the participants and ensure a checklist is provided for each participant as part of the written plan. Participants should be given at least 5-7 days to complete the checklist and return it to the Lead for scoring. Scoring shall remain as (1 = Failed, 2 = Partially Completed, 3 = Completed). It is imperative for the Lead to be fair and unbiased because when you are dealing with a written plan, it’s a lot like a contract because the plan is in writing and there are specific expectations to be completed within the plan. You also want to commend your participants, regardless of how they fared because this is a lesson learned moment for everyone involved and it gives you a defined reason why written plans are much more important and far exceed expectations of verbal plans. Lastly, send feedback regard