Actually, in Agile processes you plan considerable more than in traditional processes. The difference is that rather than having a large planning phase at the start of a project, you have a considerably smaller initial planning session followed by constant planning with each iteration. That means that after each 1-3 week increment of development, the team and stakeholders review the current plan and revise it based on what they have learned during the past iteration’s development.

In the end, you have planned much more than you would have than with a waterfall model. By doing continuous planning, you mitigate the risk that what was planned is no longer relevant in the business context, and you also accommodate the inherent vagueness in the initial requirements for a product by refining them over time.

Dave Rooney
Mayford Technologies
http://www.mayford.ca