Both mindsets are necessary, and it's also possible to go too far in both directions. I've been on teams that took planning to an absurd end, which resulted in obsolete plans as soon as implementation started. I've also been on teams which went around in circles because they didn't have any direction and their implementation/discovery wasn't focused on a clear goal.
Long term plans are only inaccurate or wrong if they're over reaching. Plans, like every other part of a project, have to be able to change and grow throughout implementation. It's not long-term planning that is the issue, it's the stagnation of overbearing plans.
There's no such thing as perfection, only the pursuit of perfection.
Hindsight is a crucial part of making sure you don't make the same mistakes. Don't worry, you'll have plenty of opportunities to make brand new mistakes.
Funny you say that. The way it goes with my boss is :
- boss: Yeah, don't spend too much time on planning it will be at best inaccaurate
- me: ok; I make a plan and, well, there are known unknows
- later on, my boss: why have you those unknowns ? don't you think it's obvious that unknowns are a problem and that we can't show our customer we have unknowns because we're-professionals-we-know-what-we-do ?
I think you've gotta put yourself in the customer's shoes. If you ask a vendor when a project will be done, and they respond "well we have some unknowns haha", what are you supposed to do with that? It's not a very useful answer.
"Here's what we've accomplished this month. Would you like to continue the engagement for another month?" Better than lying about knowledge of the future.
