beplanning

Beplanning is a planning philosophy and practice that emphasizes aligning future-oriented plans with a sense of being—values, identity, and purpose—rather than focusing solely on external targets. It combines strategic foresight with mindful consideration of present conditions to guide action.

The term has appeared in contemporary management and personal development discourse as a way to address instability and rapid change by linking what an individual or organization hopes to become with what it does today.

Core principles include alignment with core values, clarity of purpose, adaptability, stakeholder involvement, and ongoing reflection. Beplanning treats plans as living artifacts that must evolve with feedback from conditions and learning.

The typical process involves five stages: clarify purpose and values; envision possible futures; decide on strategic priorities; design adaptive roadmaps and metrics; and implement with iterative review and adjustment.

Common tools used in beplanning include vision statements, values maps, scenario planning, backcasting, roadmaps, and OKRs. Practices such as regular check-ins and mindfulness exercises may be incorporated to maintain alignment between being and doing.

Applications span personal life design, corporate strategy in uncertain environments, project management, and community or urban planning that emphasizes social and ethical considerations.

Benefits include greater coherence between beliefs and actions, improved resilience, and stakeholder buy-in. Criticisms center on perceived vagueness, difficulty of measurement, and the risk that emphasis on values could slow decision-making in fast-moving contexts.

Related concepts include strategic planning, scenario planning, backcasting, and mindfulness-based approaches to management.