Abstract: This article explores the false dichotomy between planning and agility in organizational management, arguing instead for a complementary approach called adaptive planning. Drawing from extensive consulting experience, the author demonstrates how rigid planning and unconstrained agility need not be mutually exclusive but can be synthesized into a powerful framework that balances structure with flexibility. Through principles such as planning-to-learn, embracing uncertainty, establishing agile governance, and iterative planning, organizations can achieve coordinated direction while maintaining responsiveness to change. Case studies from Autodesk and Anthropic illustrate how this balanced approach enables companies to navigate complex, uncertain environments more effectively than adherence to either extreme, ultimately leading to sustainable competitive advantage in rapidly evolving markets.

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