It is interesting to observe how different people react to project plans, milestones, and accountability. Plans have two elements at their core. First, they answer the question of what do we want to do together. They express a view of our aspirations and dreams and how we think we can reach them. Second, they are a shared source of truth. They point to anticipated truths and then seek to include them. When truth (actuals) is inserted into a plan, the should be and is meet in the best and most difficult ways.
As useful as a plan can be in communicating our hopes and reality, when the connection between participants and the plans is broken, the usefulness of any plan changes dramatically! One might think that the evidence of how helpful a plan infused with truth can be would be sufficient to ensure that everyone would buy-in. However, sharing a vision and truth are not in themselves compelling. Historical proof points are not convincing. I have lost count of the number of plans that are developed, ignored, and eventually abandoned.
One key to a plan’s usefulness starts with how it is connected to its community. Where there is a connection, the plan’s power grows as individuals willingly wrestle with truth and the challenges that emerge. When the source of truth is not connected with individuals, it becomes irrelevant. The difficulty in keeping people connected has not changed much across the generations as history repeats itself. Generations ago, “After our parents left Egypt, they took your [Truth’s] wonders for granted, forgot your great and wonderful love. They were barely beyond the Red Sea when they defied the High God.” (Psalm 106.7) The plot and plan were lost and everything unraveled.
As simple as truth might seem, being willing to hear and embrace it with understanding is difficult because it calls for accountability and action. What one did yesterday is often not the answer for today. When we face truth together, understand what worked and where things fell short, the door for more unlocks. So much is possible.
