Thoughts on planning

When I was in my MBA program, I was taught about the four Ps of marketing: product, placement, pricing, and promotion. During my PhD studies, I was taught about the five Ps of research: Prior planning prevents poor performance. Well, you know what they—whoever “they” are—say about plans.

I was inspired to think about planning while attending today’s induction ceremony for the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame. Although many interesting topics were covered during the panel discussion, featuring some of the greatest minds in nursing from around the globe, the concept of planning resonated with me strongly. That may be because I am a planner, or it may be, as was pointed out, that things never go as planned. Although I am a planner, I can say with confidence that 90 percent of what I plan never goes as planned. I can also say with confidence that, when things don’t go as planned, amazing and wonderful things can happen!

Before leaving my hotel room this morning, I had a plan, but then I stopped at the tour desk—not part of the plan—to ask if there was anything I should not miss, as my days in Prague were becoming short. Again, change in plans.

Off I headed with my new plan, confident that I knew where I was going. Not so much. However, my accidental deviation from the new plan landed me in a local restaurant where I had one of the best meals I have had in Prague, and at one of the lowest prices.

In England, where I visit often, there is a lunch called a “plowman’s.” It usually consists of bread, several cheeses, and a small amount of local meat. There is a similar lunch in Prague, and it is called a “farmer’s.” However, the difference is that the farmer’s lunch consists of sizable portions of bread, sausage, sweet cabbage, potato pancakes, and ham, prepared in several different fashions. It was a fabulous outcome, resulting from a breakdown in my plan!

My "farmer's lunch."

Adjusting the plan to compensate for my unanticipated course deviation, I jumped on a tram that has been in operation since long before the Velvet Revolution, planning to take it directly to my destination.

A tram took me not so directly to my destination.

Things didn’t go as planned. The signage in Prague is great. My Czech? Not so much. As I rode, I kept looking out the window for the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul “on top of the Rock.” When I finally spotted it, I had overshot it and had to travel several hundred meters more, making it necessary to hike back in the midday sun. Although I needed the walk after my huge lunch, hiking in the midday sun was not in the plan, but I met many wonderful people along the way who helped me navigate the confusing route up the hill to the cathedral. Also, I stopped and took in amazing views I would have otherwise missed. So, once again the plan came through. It just happened not to be my plan.

A view my plan didn't include.

The Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul sits atop “the Rock” or, in Czech, the area known as Vyšehrad. Although the cathedral was constructed in the 1800s, the site on which it sits is where Prague originated. Inside, there are amazing antiquities dating back to the 10th century.

Seeing the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul
actually was part of Plan A—or was it B?

The Rock is also home to Slavin, one of the oldest cemeteries in the Czech Republic. Its current incarnation dates back to the 1800s, but souls have been laid to rest in this spot since at least the 12th century. Slavin is the resting place of many of the Czech Republic’s war heroes, statesmen, and scholars. It is here that you will find the gravesite of the composer Dvořák.

Antonín Dvořák

There are beautiful parks on top of The Rock with many statues that pay homage to the great leaders and history of this fascinating land. A stroll around these grounds is a must. And, just a short distance from the entrance—I came in the back way—is a Metro station, where you can catch a train that will take you quickly and directly back to the center of town.

Arriving back at my hotel and reflecting on my day, I knew that I had a better day than I ever could have planned. So my tip for today is, if you can bring yourself to do it, embrace whatever breakdowns occur in your plans. Amazing things can come from doing so!

Until my next and final postcard from Prague, be blessed and be safe!

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.