Planning Skills

Planning is an intellectual process of thinking in advance. It is a process of deciding the future on the series of events to follow. It is a process of deciding in advance what to do (achieve), how to do it (achieve the task), when to do it and who does what. Thinking ahead is the privilege given to man alone.

Planning function 

 "Man learns from past experience, analyses the present and plans for the future."
Planning ahead is an essential ingredient in successful achievement of goals and objectives. Planning is an important management function. According to Alford and Beatt, Planning is the thinking process, that is required for intelligent action. Planning ahead is a continuous process and a conscious determination of course of action. according to Allen, plan is a trap to capture the future.

Planning has three major aspects

Objectives - to have a clear idea of the goals to be accomplished; the goals must be measurable and time bound.
Implementation - How are the people and resources to be utilized? What are the activities to be accomplished? and Within what time period.
Evaluation - how to monitor the implementation and evaluate the progress to ensure that everything is working out as planned?

Types of planning

Long -term planning - It is essential for the survival and growth of any institution or business. It can be with broad objectives.
Short - term planning - planning for short time period / step - by - step activities. It is aimed at better utilization of men and resources.

Benefits of planning

Planning ahead clarifies the objectives of various activities. Planning ahead  is usually done to capitalize on opportunities. Planning ahead is basically a decision making function which involves creative thinking and imagination. Planning leads to systematic and methodical work. Planning creates order, rationality and healthy attitude. Planning minimizes the uncertainties of future events. Planning ensures to better coordination of various activities. Planning improves the standard of performance and provides the basis for controlling.

Tips for better planning

Plan your task well in advance and after preparation, double - check your plan. review the plan often to get more insights and test your plan. Ask a question, Is the plan practical ? Streamline the plan and make it realistic. The timing of the plan is critical. Make room in your plan to accommodate changes that occur during implementation.

Quotes on Planning

"Failing to plan is planning to fail." -Alan Lakein.

"Proper planning and preparation prevents poor performance." -Stephen Keague.

"Map out your future, but do it in pencil."  -Jon Bon Jovi.