Practical Solutions to Business Puzzles

One of my roles is helping people learn from what they see and experience.  Over the last few days, a perfect example arose.   

Did you see the Byron Nelson Golf Tournament over the last few days?  The greens were like checkerboards in some places on the television.  They were even worse looking in person though. 

The tournament is held around the second week of May.  This year though, it was held a few weeks early.

Thinking about this from a negotiation perspective, I am reminded to:

Use due diligence.  How many of the golfers inspected the course at the end of April last year to see what the course might be like?

Think about the impact of even slight changes in timing.  A change in timing (either slippage of the planning date for the grass or changing the dates of the tournament) can have far reaching consequences. 

Reverse engineer the result.  After deciding the completion date, work backwards to the date that key elements have to be completed. Can each of these activities be completed?  Grass takes time to grow and needs the ground to be warm enough.  Was there enough time between the last freeze of the year and the tournament for the grass to get growing strong? 

Build in a cushion, especially if timing is an issue.  It may cost a little more to have a cushion.  A time cushion as a type of insurance.  It allows a recovery, if an issue arises.  Planning for the course to be ready the second or third week of April would have allowed a cushion. 

What other lessons can be learned from this situation?