Effective Planning

PLANNING

Good planning efforts have their impact on results.

We all understand the importance of planning, but the extent and depth, to which we plan, is not the same.

We would be surprised that Japanese spend as high as 40% of their time on an average on planning. Even before we go ahead reading this page, please recapitulate how much of our time we spend on planning. Say, we spend 5% of our time planning. Now question ourselves why Japanese take 40% of their time in planning. Obviously, the amount of time one would put in planning would be related to how much one perceives the benefit out of it. But, unfortunately, this perception of benefit is related to our understanding of what is planning.

Planning is whatever we can do to facilitate the physical execution.

The indicator of a good planning is that : -

1. physical execution goes smoothly,
2. the surprises are minimum and
3. surprises are handled smoothly with
4. alte
atives already thought of.

The planning encompasses at the highest level overall planning to set the direction to achieve the objective and at lowest level of ensuring all required inputs of information, materials, manpower and other resources needed for the days activity so that the days activity is performed as planned.

The planning also ensures that any change of requirements is detected well in advance to help plan alte
ative.

There is a normal overpowering human tendency to be associated with physical activity rather than thinking activity as Physical activity gives comfort and illusion of achievement. People therefore consciously resist planning to the depth needed. Another factor which comes very much in the way is that most of the time people see the plans fail. It may surprise that if WE make a statement that plan never fails. Plans are made based on the knowledge available at the time of making it.

A good plan is never static. It is constantly updated by looking for inputs of changes well ahead of time. Most of the well executed projects are backed by excellent planning efforts.