Patton argues that military plans should provide direction without becoming rigid. Conditions in combat can change quickly, so a plan must be simple enough to understand and flexible enough to be altered when necessity requires or an unexpected opportunity appears. His description of a plan as a “datum plane” presents it as a starting reference rather than a fixed script.

He also stresses that the people responsible for carrying out a plan should help create it. Those closest to execution are more likely to understand practical constraints, available resources and local conditions, and they may be better placed to adjust when circumstances change. The passage therefore combines two ideas: plans should guide action without preventing adaptation, and planning should draw on the judgement of those who will implement it. The wider lesson is that effective preparation balances clarity of purpose with room for initiative.