There's no real point in having a plan if you don't follow it,
That sounds a bit naive. The benefit of a plan is primarily in the act of making it (it forces you to think about what you want to do). The secondary benefit comes when you track how actual progress deviates from the plan: this lets you think about how/why your plan wasn't accurate.
Following a plan gives very little benefit. If the plan is accurate, then people will naturally follow it, without needing to be told. They may follow "priorities" (which may derived from the act of planning), but that's a subtly different thing.
Dave.
