Is Planning necessary?

I had a discussion with a client recently who said that her approach to doing things had changed significantly since we started working together.

She is a very action oriented person and typically starts off in a rush in order to accomplish her objective. She now starts by planning what she wants to do before starting any action. She has recognized how it saves time in the long run.

I recently found a statement describing how 1 hour of planning saves 3 hours of execution.

In starting any project, everybody is looking for action, and planning does not look like action. Managers want immediate results. Unfortunately, this focus on immediate results often causes more problems. Unnecessary work gets done, the wrong function is delivered.

I always look to the business goal that we are trying to achieve and what we need to do to achieve it. In looking at a project this way, questions get asked and the answers change the definition of the problems. People are separated by a common language. What you say and mean may be different from what I understand. If I don't attempt to outline a plan for what you are asking for, I really don't understand what is involved. If I start acting on it, it may look like I'm on the right track, but I could be way off base. By developing a plan, I get a better understanding of what you are asking for and when I communicate this to you, you can tell if I'm delivering what you want.

If business people are separated by a common language, what do you think will happen with technology people? They have a language all their own and their focus is very different. What they hear you say is very seldom what you mean. Without the outline of a plan, you will not get what you think you are asking for.