There is an old axiom on planning, which says ‘What gets planned gets done.’ Planning is highly essential to be organized and lay out the process and timelines for achieving the desired goals both individually and at an organization level. If we fail to plan our activities then it is likely that we will be reacting to situations as they arise rather than dealing with priorities in a controlled and systematic manner. Planning however does not imply rigidity; a balance is necessary between scheduled time and unscheduled time so that work can flow smoothly rather than firefighting from one pressing issue to another. Even a few minutes spent on planning the daily calendar ensures that tasks that are important and/or urgent get completed.
Planning vs. Reacting
Planning is the process of converting the present state of things into a desired future state (goals and objectives). There are many approaches to planning, some are structured and explicit, while others are more organic, unfolding and implicit. Some approaches work from the future to the present, like having a vision and then having an action plan on how to achieve that vision. Other approaches work from the present to the future, like identifying current priorities (issues and/or goals) and then having an action plan on how to address those priorities. Hence whichever way we work, having a plan aligns our actions with the desired goals. Sometimes in the short term spontaneity or reacting to a certain situation that was not anticipated might be required but however in the medium to long term, formal plans are required to arrive at the desired state. Relying totally on spontaneity might lead to misalignment of the individual efforts with the organizational goals and lead to chaos.
Some Reasons for Failure
There are many reasons why the best laid out plans can fail at times. Some common reasons are:
1. Dynamic business variables – that can be internal (attrition, cash flow etc.) or external (new technology, economic recession, political situation etc.) in nature.
2. Poor communication – failure to properly communicate the vision or strategic objectives and goals to all concerned stakeholders.
3. Lack of proper Management – improper resource allocation, lack of buy-in by staff, poor follow-through, inadequate checks, misaligned goals/strategies/actions, inefficient rewards etc.
4. Specifying details – should clearly quantify the goals and objectives very clearly, as ‘what gets measured gets done.’
5. Motivation - people responsible for implementing the plan are not convinced of its value or lack or no sense of urgency or lack of employees' support etc.
By paying proper attention to the above, chances of the plan being successful will be high. Plans that are too rigid and cannot be modified as per the evolving situation are doomed for failure. When plans fail instead of totally scrapping it, an analysis of the root cause that led to the failure should be done and a new plan based on the lessons learned should be developed and implemented. Hence new plans should be evolutionary and replace old plans that are not resulting in the desired objectives being achieved.
Steps for Planning
Formal planning process should ideally have the following elements:
1. Properly aligned to the expected outcome - the plan should be aligned to the overall purpose or result that it is set to achieve.
2. Environmental Scan – Taking stock outside and inside the system through a SWOT (internal Strength & Weakness and external Opportunities & Threats) analysis will help in identifying and considering various driving forces, or major influences, that might affect the plan.
3. Establish Goals and Objectives - together with key milestones that are desired to be achieved as the final output of the plan. The objectives should be selected to be timely and indicate the progress towards the goals.
4. Establish Strategies - to reach the desired goals based on affordability, practicality and efficiency.
5. Associate Responsibilities and Time Lines with Each Objective - responsibilities should be assigned for implementation of the plan and for achieving various goals and objectives. Deadlines should be set for meeting each responsibility.
6. Write and Communicate - the plan should be properly documented, circulated and understood clearly by all the concerned stakeholders.
7. Analyse and Review - assess effectiveness of the plan through completion of each objective and revise the plans as required.
Excerpts of this article has been published in Times Ascent - http://timesascent.in/article/8/2010062820100628160831608d48badb3/The-art-of-planning.html
Planning vs. Reacting
Planning is the process of converting the present state of things into a desired future state (goals and objectives). There are many approaches to planning, some are structured and explicit, while others are more organic, unfolding and implicit. Some approaches work from the future to the present, like having a vision and then having an action plan on how to achieve that vision. Other approaches work from the present to the future, like identifying current priorities (issues and/or goals) and then having an action plan on how to address those priorities. Hence whichever way we work, having a plan aligns our actions with the desired goals. Sometimes in the short term spontaneity or reacting to a certain situation that was not anticipated might be required but however in the medium to long term, formal plans are required to arrive at the desired state. Relying totally on spontaneity might lead to misalignment of the individual efforts with the organizational goals and lead to chaos.
Some Reasons for Failure
There are many reasons why the best laid out plans can fail at times. Some common reasons are:
1. Dynamic business variables – that can be internal (attrition, cash flow etc.) or external (new technology, economic recession, political situation etc.) in nature.
2. Poor communication – failure to properly communicate the vision or strategic objectives and goals to all concerned stakeholders.
3. Lack of proper Management – improper resource allocation, lack of buy-in by staff, poor follow-through, inadequate checks, misaligned goals/strategies/actions, inefficient rewards etc.
4. Specifying details – should clearly quantify the goals and objectives very clearly, as ‘what gets measured gets done.’
5. Motivation - people responsible for implementing the plan are not convinced of its value or lack or no sense of urgency or lack of employees' support etc.
By paying proper attention to the above, chances of the plan being successful will be high. Plans that are too rigid and cannot be modified as per the evolving situation are doomed for failure. When plans fail instead of totally scrapping it, an analysis of the root cause that led to the failure should be done and a new plan based on the lessons learned should be developed and implemented. Hence new plans should be evolutionary and replace old plans that are not resulting in the desired objectives being achieved.
Steps for Planning
Formal planning process should ideally have the following elements:
1. Properly aligned to the expected outcome - the plan should be aligned to the overall purpose or result that it is set to achieve.
2. Environmental Scan – Taking stock outside and inside the system through a SWOT (internal Strength & Weakness and external Opportunities & Threats) analysis will help in identifying and considering various driving forces, or major influences, that might affect the plan.
3. Establish Goals and Objectives - together with key milestones that are desired to be achieved as the final output of the plan. The objectives should be selected to be timely and indicate the progress towards the goals.
4. Establish Strategies - to reach the desired goals based on affordability, practicality and efficiency.
5. Associate Responsibilities and Time Lines with Each Objective - responsibilities should be assigned for implementation of the plan and for achieving various goals and objectives. Deadlines should be set for meeting each responsibility.
6. Write and Communicate - the plan should be properly documented, circulated and understood clearly by all the concerned stakeholders.
7. Analyse and Review - assess effectiveness of the plan through completion of each objective and revise the plans as required.
Excerpts of this article has been published in Times Ascent - http://timesascent.in/article/8/2010062820100628160831608d48badb3/The-art-of-planning.html
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