By day, I spend my time thinking about strategic planning and organizational change, but by night, I’m weaving kitchen towels. Recently, I started thinking about a new weaving project and similarities in these two seemingly different parts of my life collided. It occurred to me that weaving is a good metaphor for the planning and change process.

Take approach for example. Whether you are conducting an organization-wide strategic planning process or you are weaving a blanket, you need to have a goal in mind. There are any number of ways to reach that goal; in weaving you can follow a pattern, while in planning, you typically follow a process. Both these approaches usually, but not always, result in a solid product that will serve the needs of the organization, or the weaver. Or, you can try something completely new - different color combinations, textures and patterns; or new outside-the-box ideas about organization and process. Admittedly these are much riskier approaches, but while the results can be less predictable, successes are often transformational.

Preparation is the most important part of any process, and it takes the longest. It's easy to want to rush right through this part to get to the hands-on bit. Taking this time up front pays off with fewer mistakes down the road. But, no matter how well you plan, the results may not be what you expect. Colors in warp and weft combine in ways that you don't expect and are difficult to predict. So too, a well-planned change or planning process can still result in unanticipated, and unintended, consequences.

This is why documenting the process is important. Keeping careful notes is key to adaptive change in a planning/change process. I keep notes on my weaving projects, too, such as the size of the yarn used and how much the finished product shrank when washed. By documenting the process, when those unexpected consequences occur, you can review and identify where changes need to be made, using the notes you’ve taken along the way. This is especially important because a perfect result is rare. No matter how much care I take in the setup and weaving process, how much I strive for perfection - I have yet to achieve a perfect woven product. That goes for planning and change, too.

And finally, weavers don’t expect their pieces to be put away and taken out only for special occasions. And what is the point of going through a strategic planning process if the resulting document sits on a shelf while business carries on as usual? The products of these processes – whether a 200-page document or a silk scarf – are meant to be used. They are meant to be held, meant to be worn, meant to see the light of day.

This baby blanket has a warp of yellow, green and blue yarn, with blue yarn for the weft

Handwoven items, and strategic plans, are meant to be used!