Exercising & Validating Plans

Exercising & Validating Your Plans

Build capability, strengthen confidence, discover what works

Exercises are sometimes treated as an end in themselves — rather than a tool for real insight and improvement. In some organisations, they’re treated as little more than a tick-box exercise — but done right, they reveal what works, what doesn’t, and where teams can grow skill, judgement, and confidence.

Validation — and exercising in particular — has always been my favourite part of professional practice. They say the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and this is where we truly test assumptions, build capability, and make tangible improvements to organisational resilience. Not always quickly, and not always easily — but a well-designed exercise provides the evidence you need to drive meaningful action.

A plan is only as good as your ability to use it. Exercising strategies, structures — and most importantly — people reveals what really works. Thoughtful, purposeful exercises turn theory into capability and build confidence to act when it counts.

Good exercises don’t aim to “catch people out.” They create space to test documentation, challenge assumptions, and explore how teams actually make decisions under pressure.

It’s natural for participants to feel some anxiety at the start. By the hot debrief, you can observe how the exercise has landed: the conversation, the insights, and the shared learning show whether the exercise achieved its objectives. When people leave energised — clearer about roles, more confident in their judgement, and motivated to improve their plans — that’s when you know the exercise has done its job.

Exercising isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress — building capability together, one informed conversation at a time.

Why Exercising Matters

People come first: Exercises are about practising judgement, collaboration, and communication. That’s where real capability and resilience are built.

Insight beyond documents: Exercises bring plans to life, exposing gaps, hidden dependencies, and assumptions. They generate evidence for leaders on what works, what doesn’t, and where investment or adjustments are needed to make plans truly effective.

Learning through reflection: Debriefs and structured reflection turn observation into actionable improvement. Lessons feed directly back into planning, culture, and capability development.

Confidence through experience: Regular, thoughtful exercises familiarise teams with ambiguity, decision-making under pressure, and real-world complexity, strengthening readiness and trust in both plans and each other.

Reflections to Take Away

• Exercises are tools for insight, not just rehearsals.

• Learning happens in the spaces where uncertainty, decision-making, and collaboration intersect.

• The ultimate goal is clarity, confidence, and a culture that can adapt and respond — not flawless performance, but informed action and shared understanding.