PLANNING

Svetainė: e-Learning COMMON DIGITAL EDUCATIONAL PLATFORM for SOFT SKILLS & CULTURE OF LABOUR MARKET - DEPS-Skills
Kursai: NEGOTIATION AND ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS (EN)
Knyga: PLANNING
Spausdino: Svečio paskyra
Data: penktadienis, 2025 birželio 27, 07:52

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.

 

2. Planning functions

Planning performs several functions:

  • Management function. Planning is the first and most important management function, providing the foundation for other management functions, i.e., organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling, since they are carried out according to the established plans.

  • Goal orientation. It is focused on setting organizational goals, determining alternative courses of action, and adopting the appropriate action plan required to achieve those goals.

  • Wide application. Planning is widely applicable in the sense that it exists in all segments and is needed at all levels of the organization. Although the scope of planning differs at different levels and divisions.

  • Continuous process. Plans are made for specific periods, such as a month, quarter, year, etc. After this period ends, new plans are made, taking into account the current and future requirements and conditions of the organization. Therefore, it is a continuous process as plans are made, executed, and after completion, another plan is prepared.

  • Intellectual process. It is a mental process that requires using the mind, thinking, forecasting, creatively imagining, innovating, and so on.

  • Futuristic process. When planning, we look into the future. It involves looking at the future, analyzing it, and forecasting it, so the organization can effectively address future challenges.

  • Decision-making. Decisions are made by choosing alternative courses of action that can be taken to achieve the goal. The selected alternative should be the best of all, with the least number of negative and the greatest number of positive outcomes.

Planning is related to setting goals, objectives, and creating a plan to achieve them. Planning helps managers analyze the current state and determine ways to reach the desired future state. It is both an organizational need and the responsibility of managers.

3. Stages of the planning process

 

  1. Analyze the current situation and environment.

  2. Define the vision and mission.

  3. Set goals and objectives.

  4. Develop strategies and action plans.

  5. Implement and monitor the plan.

Effective planning includes the simplicity of the plan, meaning the plan must be clearly outlined and easily understandable, because if the plan is too complicated, chaos will arise among the members of the organization.