Find What the Plan Leaves Out
Added 2026-10-31
Look for gaps in boundaries, dependencies and exit conditions.
I have a project plan (below). Find what it leaves out: 1) three boundaries — what is in scope and what is not; 2) three external dependencies and what happens if each fails; 3) exit conditions — when to stop; 4) who signs off and against what criteria; 5) the single omission most likely to make the plan run away.
Site original
Chinese original
How to use
计划的漏洞通常在「没写出来的那几行」。
Try tweaking it
- Ask what evidence would overturn the judgement.
- Have it argue both sides with three reasons each.
What you should get
- A decision table: assumptions, evidence, counter-evidence
- A next action with an observable signal
Common mistakes
- Asking only "should I?" and getting equally valid answers both ways.
- Never asking for counter-examples, so you only hear support.
How to check the output
- It states what evidence would overturn the conclusion.
- Both sides are argued, with assumptions marked as such.
Where it works
- Good for: splitting a decision into assumptions, evidence and counter-cases, leaving the call to you.
- Watch out: ask what evidence would overturn the judgement, or you will only hear supporting reasons.