PLANNING

1. Planning

Planning – like forecasting – is the process of forming an organization's goals and objectives, as well as determining the means and paths required for achieving those goals and objectives.

The planning function aims to answer the following questions:

• Where are we at this moment?
• Where do we want to go?
• How do we plan to do that?

Planning means that we think ahead about our goals and actions.

Planning is an ongoing function. Primarily because once a goal is achieved, a new goal is set or the current one is modified.

Plans are guidelines that allow us to:

1. Identify the necessary resources to achieve the goals and manage them;
2. Act according to the established goals and procedures;
3. Manage and evaluate the process to take timely actions and correct the situation if progress toward the selected goal is off track.

Definition: Planning is a fundamental management function that involves making decisions in advance:

• What needs to be done?
• When should it be done?
• How should it be done?
• Who will do it?

It is an intellectual process in which goals are set, and various courses of action are prepared to achieve those goals.

Planning precisely defines how to achieve a specific goal.

Planning is nothing more than thinking before taking action. It helps to look into the future and decide in advance how to act in situations we may encounter. Planning involves logical thinking and rational decision-making.