Surprising ways past plans are better than new
Surprise! Your past plans are better than new.
That’s not to say your old plans are fine to reuse just as you filed them. Far from it. Rather, by using your old plans you can create new plans in less time. There is a better chance of them working for both you and your clients.
Use these steps to need to reframe your past plans
But there is an important step you MUST take. Look at those plans and assess them – a post-mortem.
In answering the questions, reflect on the:
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structure of the session,
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elements used
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experiences provided
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things that moved people towards a goal
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parts that need retired
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equipment utilized.
Questions
- What worked?
- What didn’t work as planned?
- What is relevant to current goal(s)?
- What portions need expanded/contracted?
- What needs added?
By taking this step, “Everything old is new again.”
The best time to begin this reflection is shortly after the session plan is utilized. Make notes.
These notes and reflections will guide you when you go through the planning process.
What’s wrong with starting from scratch?
There are times plans are by nature new. You are working with a different population. A particular goal set calls for a fresh approach. Sometimes new plans ARE superior to old.
The fastest way to improved session plans is a post-mortem of past ones.
So how do you improve your sessions?
We’ll save the nitty gritty on that for another post.
For now, join with others in building out session ideas.
Want to kick you planning into high gear? Take part in the next Session Planning Extravaganza!
