PLANNING
Many
of us already encounter the term planning and there is no one in this world
that leaves and dies without having tried any plan. In my college days I always
meet this word with different subjects, teacher, activity, project and
situation; it appeared to be the key to success. Many of us, even me thinks
it’s to bored to listen to my teacher because she’s discussing again this term
planning, it’s too basic I know it already. But, as time passed by I realize
even its basic and self explanatory there’s always a point in time we’ve
constructed a poor planning. Let’s explore more the PLANNING to create good
plans.
The
nature of planning
A. Planning is an intellectual process-
the conscious determination of course of action. Thus, it is an intellectual
stimulation. It possesses an element of day-dreaming. In the initial stage it
may involve what might be called vision. It involves foreseeing future
development, making forecasts or predictions and then taking decisions. Thus,
it becomes an important mental exercise.
B.
Planning contributes to the objective- A plan starts with the
setting of objectives and in order to realize it develops policies, procedures,
and strategies, etc. Obviously, without setting the goals to be reached and
lines of action to be followed, there is a continuous and never-ending activity
of a manager to keep the enterprise going.
C.
Planning is a selecting process- Planning is a
selective process. It involves the study and a careful analysis of various
alternatives and then selecting the best one. It not only pertains to defining
a problem which immediately confronts the manager, but often it mentally
searches the possibilities for problems that might appear in the future.
D.
Planning forms the premises for the decision of the future -
Plans become premises, for the decisions of the future. Detailed planning may
include several plans, which are mutually exclusive. It provides series or sets
of decision that can be made under various possible circumstances. Thus,
planning aids in making specific decisions, since it includes all of the
important alternatives, which
E.
Planning pervades all managerial activities- Planning is a
pervasive activity converting the entire enterprise with all its segments and
its every level of management. It is not the exclusive responsibility of top
management but it extends to middle and lower management as well. It is a
primary function of the management and its level and extent, etc. Will depend
upon the level of management.
F.
Planning is directed towards efficiency- The main purpose of
planning is to increase the efficiency of the enterprise. It is an attempt on
the part of a manager to anticipate the future in order to achieve better
performance. It has become an important function due to uncertain and ever
changing environmental of business.
G.
Planning is a continuous and flexible process- Because of
uncertainties of the future the planner must be ever alert and should form his
plans in such a way as to adopt them to changing circumstances without
inconvenience and undue costs.
What
is planning?
=
In simple words, planning is deciding in advance what is to be done, when
where, how and by whom it is to be done. Planning bridges the gap from where we
are to where we want to go. It includes the selection of objectives, policies,
procedures and programs from among alternatives. A plan is a predetermined
course of action to achieve a specified goal. It is an intellectual process
characterized by thinking before doing. It is an attempt on the part of manager
to anticipate the future in order to achieve better performance. Planning is
the primary function of management.
Planning
process
A. Establish
Goals
The
first step of the management planning process is to identify specific company
goals. This portion of the planning process should include a detailed overview
of each goal, including the reason for its selection and the anticipated outcomes
of goal-related projects. Where possible, objectives should be described in
quantitative or qualitative terms. An example of a goal is to raise profits by
25 percent over a 12-month period.
B.
Identify Resources
Each
goal should have financial and human resources projections associated with its
completion. For example, a management plan may identify how many sales people
it will require and how much it will cost to meet the goal of increasing sales
by 25 percent.
C.
Establish Goal-Related Tasks
Each
goal should have tasks or projects associated with its achievement. For
example, if a goal is to raise profits by 25 percent, a manager will need to
outline the tasks required to meet that objective. Examples of tasks might
include increasing the sales staff or developing advanced sales training
techniques.
D.
Prioritize Goals and Tasks
Prioritizing
goals and tasks is about ordering objectives in terms of their importance. The
tasks deemed most important will theoretically be approached and completed
first. The prioritizing process may also reflect steps necessary in completing
a task or achieving a goal. For example, if a goal is to increase sales by 25
percent and an associated task is to increase sales staff, the company will
need to complete the steps toward achieving that objective in chronological
order.
E.
Create Assignments and Timelines
As
the company prioritizes projects, it must establish timelines for completing
associated tasks and assign individuals to complete them. This portion of the
management planning process should consider the abilities of staff members and
the time necessary to realistically complete assignments. For example, the
sales manager in this scenario may be given monthly earning quotas to stay on
track for the goal of increasing sales by 25 percent.
F.
Establish Evaluation Methods
A
management planning process should include a strategy for evaluating the
progress toward goal completion throughout an established time period. One way
to do this is through requesting a monthly progress report from department
heads.
G.
Identify Alternative Courses of Action
Even
the best-laid plans can sometimes be thrown off track by unanticipated events.
A management plan should include a contingency plan if certain aspects of the
master plan prove to be unattainable. Alternative courses of action can be
incorporated into each segment of the planning process, or for the plan in its
entirety.
Parts
of strategic plans
A.
Mission -The
mission articulates the following: 1) the purpose of your existence, 2) for
whom you
exist, and 3) the impact of your
existence. The mission is your
institutional touchstone and
should guide all of your decisions about
what you collect, the programs and exhibitions you
present, the facilities you plan, and any
other important decisions you make about the
Organization.
B.
Core Values -Core values are the beliefs that drive
your organization. Core values focus on
what is
Most important in the way that you
operate on a daily basis. An example of
a core value might be:
We strive for excellence and honesty in
scholarship and interpretation.
C.
Vision - The vision articulates what you want your organization to become in the
future. It is a
statement of ambition.
D.
Goals -Goals answer the question, “What do you want to
accomplish?” They are written as broad
statements specific to key areas as identified by the board and staff. For example, a goal
related to finances might be: Establish
sustainable financial strategies for operations.
-
Context: For
each goal, a context is included to provide an evaluation of the current
situation. The context provides a framework for why the
goal has been included in
your strategic plan.
- Objectives: Objectives support the goals and state how the goals will be
accomplished. For example, an objective related to the goal
above might be: Increase the
size of the endowment to support 33% of
the annual operating budget. Objectives
are time bound
and measurable. As such, the following elements are
associated with each objective:
- Accountability:
assigns an individual to oversee completion of the objective.
- Timeframe: describes
the “due date” for completion of the objective.
- Resources: describes
the need for personnel (volunteer and professional) and
funds required to reach the stated
objective.
Making
planning effective
7 steps to make planning effective.
Step
1 - Review or develop Vision &
Mission
Step
2 - Business and operation analysis
(SWOT Analysis)
Step
3 - Develop and Select Strategic Options
Step
4 - Establish Strategic Objectives
Step
5 - Strategy Execution Plan
Step
6 - Establish Resource Allocation
Step
7 - Execution Review
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