When we’re facing a deadline or getting ready to tackle a big project, the standard approach is to plan from the beginning and then work our way forward, starting with the first step and ending with our final task.In recent years, however, a method known as backwards or reverse planning has been receiving a lot of attention, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. When you plan in reverse, you start with your end goal and then work your way backwards from there to develop a plan of action.For example, if you have a paper to write, rather than focusing on the first steps, you would start by looking at the paper’s due date and identifying the last action you would need to take.
How far along would you need to be the day before the deadline? When would the first draft need to be ready? When would the research stage need to be complete?As counterintuitive as it may seem, working backwards in this way can give you a much clearer picture of what and how much must be accomplished during each phase of a project. It can also help you identify and avoid unnecessary activities. What the research says about reverse planningStudies show that planning in general can and contribute to improved, but the fact of the matter is that how we plan is also very important.In order to understand how the type of planning we use can affect goal pursuit, researchers from the University of Iowa and Peking University carried out a number of experiments with 300 university students who made plans to tackle goals such as revising for an exam or prepping for a job interview.For the sake of the study, they identified two main methods of planning; forward planning and reverse planning. They found that when students used reverse planning, they were more motivated, had higher goal expectancy, and felt less time pressure.There was also a in success between forward and reverse planning.
Backward Planning Flowchart
Reverse planning not only enhanced student motivation and perception, but changed the actual outcome by improving student grades.These effects don’t seem to be driven by the plan itself, however, because once finished, backwards and forwards plans tend to look pretty similar. Instead, it seems to be the process of reverse planning that can increase motivation and goal expectancy.One reason for this is that focusing on the end goal allows us to use our imagination to think of future events as if they already happened, which makes it easier for us to visualize the steps we will need to take. The researchers refer to this as “future retrospection.”Future retrospection can help increase our anticipation of pleasure from achieving our goal, which brings about goal-directed behaviours.Another reason backward planning may be more effective than forward planning is that it helps us focus on a positive outcome. When we plan chronologically, it’s easier to get caught up thinking about all the obstacles that might prevent us from reaching our goal.“When visualising the endpoint, things seem clearer and more positive,” study co-author and University of Iowa associate professor of marketing William Hedgcock. “If you start at the present, you could go this way or that way—it can be more negative.”Earlier research also shows that our motivation tends to be at its highest at the start and near the finish of a project. But reverse planning provides a kind of map to the finish line by outlining each step we’ll need to take along the way, and this can help us stay focused throughout the whole project, even at times when motivation might otherwise be lagging.Interestingly, these findings only hold true when the goal is complex, such as a comprehensive final exam that requires students to review a lot of information or a long-term project that involves a sequence of steps.
When the goal is a relatively simple one, there doesn’t seem to be much difference between chronological and reverse planning.Why? This is likely because simpler goals or less complex projects that require only a couple of steps are already easy for us to visualise and seem more attainable regardless of how we plan. How to construct a reverse planSo now that you know reverse planning has the potential to help you reach your complex goals and even improve the outcome, how can you go about crafting your first backwards plan?The process of constructing a backwards plan can be a bit mind boggling at first, because you have to approach projects from an entirely different perspective than you’re used to. But if you’re ready to give it a try, here are a few things to keep in mind when planning in reverse chronological order.
Start with the end goalBefore you start constructing your plan, look at the end goal. What is it that you need to accomplish? Do you need to write a dissertation? Is there a big exam coming up? Are you going to an important job interview that you need to prepare for?Once you have this goal clearly in mind, you can start working your way backward. What’s the last step you will need to take before you hand in your dissertation or turn up at your job interview?
Perhaps you’d need to proofread your dissertation to check for typos and ensure clarity, or in the case of a job interview, maybe you would want to double check your outfit and review your notes. Outline clear stepsPrevious research has shown that envisioning the steps you need to take to reach your goal can increase confidence, reduce anxiety, and lead to more effortful actions.
So make sure you identify and outline clear steps and milestones as you go along.Try to make each step as specific, realistic, and actionable as possible, as this will help you work out which tasks are likely to require the most effort or creativity, and plan your time accordingly. Focus on the processRemember that the plan itself isn’t what’s going to make the biggest difference, because once you’ve finished creating your reverse plan, it won’t read all that differently from a chronological one. The thing that’s really going to help you in this case is the process of thinking about your goal and working backwards from there to identify each step you’ll need to take along the way.So don’t try to rush through the planning process or feel like you have to put together a perfect plan, because reverse planning is more about the journey than the destination.
Why Start at the End?Many times, during the course of a project, the end-result seems so far away and impossible to reach. Through backward planning, one may be able to overcome this feeling and feel great and satisfied by completing each step in the process.For example, if the project includes the installation of a machine in a factory, where would the process begin? On the other hand, if the team needs to work on its organizational structure, where would it begin?In such cases, try using the simple yet powerful tool of backward planning. This tool helps achieve the same result as normal planning. The main advantage of using this tool is that it lessens the complications and causes less frustration, meaning high levels of project success.The tool is also known as backward goal-setting and backward design and is often used in project management scenarios. It's also commonly used by educators. The idea is to start with the ultimate goal or objective and move backwards from there to develop the plan.By doing so, a person can mentally prepare himself for success and map out specific milestones that need to be achieved.
Additionally, this tool also allows someone to identify where he has to be energetic and creative in order to achieve the desired results in the plan.The whole process of backward planning is similar to a presentation. During a good presentation, if the presenter informs you of the ultimate goal, it would be easier for you to understand and think critically about what is being presented. However, if you only come to know the aim of the presentation as it unfolds, you would be spending a lot of energy in just trying to keep up, leaving no room for critical thinking. Process of Backward Planning.
Write down the ultimate goal. The first step may take some time to formulate. It is important to be as specific as possible. Moreover, ensure the goal is realistic. Once the objective is clear, decide the date by which the goal should be achieved.
For example, by November 1, the new machinery would be implemented. Continue to work backward until you come to a stage where you have reached the first milestone. For example, new machinery for packaging is needed in the factory.Reading such a plan does not look very different from a traditional forward plan. However, making a backward plan can be very difficult: You need to force yourself to think from a different perspective to ensure nothing is being missed out. Following this tool also helps saving time on unproductive activities along the way. In reality, backward planning is just about reversing the direction of a traditional plan.The tool takes up planning by looking at the.
If the project is seen from a finished point of view, it is easier to see the necessity of sticking to a self-imposed timetable. The method may take some time before you get used to it. However, once done, this tool ensures that many obstacles are avoided. Pros and Cons of Backward Planning.