Why Do managers plan - Research Paper Example

? Why Do Managers Plan? Affiliation: Why Do Managers Plan? Introduction Planning is one of the most important techniques of project management and time management. Planning is also known as “forethought”. It is carried out in order to attain certain goals in the interest of the organization. Planning requires the creation and maintenance of a certain plan. Planning is done by all individuals in their personal and profesional lives. If one doesnt plan, then there are high chances that things may move in a haphazard way. A project has several stages of planning which contributes overall importance towards the organization. Managers concentrate on the time spent on conducting effective planning that can be a source to save time and income. This practice is helpful in preventing problems that can potentially happen ("A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge", 2013). Who is a Manager? A manager’s responsibility is to direct the work of groups or individuals in order to combine their efforts in order to achieve necessary objectives. A manager can disseminate the work through direct or indirect passage of workers or subordinates. Work needs to be delegated to the subordinates according to the level of exeprtise of each subordinate. The manager should be well aware of the employee's ability for proper delegation of tasks. The manager needs to be familiar with the supervising abilities and should have the potential to coordinate the work process while taking corrective measures for the benefit of the company. A manager doesn't need to be a perfect human being who is ideal in all the skills, but he needs to perform efficiently enough to complete projects successfully (A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, 2013). The manager needs to be well aware of the mission and vision statement of the organization and accordingly it is the manager's duty to ensure that all the subordinates are clear on the mission and vision and also are clear on the path to be taken to achieve the mission. Hence, managers are in a better position to plan the path and ensure that all the employees follow the planned path to achieve the goals and objectives for the firm. With a proper planning and execution phase, the organization is able to prosper towards success and profitability. A well set out plab allows the employees to constantly review the milestones achieved and the elements that still remain to be achieved. Tasks this way tend to work out in a smooth and consitent flow. A manager has to perform various functions and roles depending upon the context he/she is working. For instance, an accounting manager directs the accounts function and coordinates smooth communication. Similarly , a manager working in the Design Engineering department needs to support his staff to perform the necessary roles to achieve the best design and engineering of the product (Belker, 2012). A marketing manager may have to plan out the goals and objectives of the marketing department and accordingly devise the appropriate marketing strategies to achieve the set goals and objective. Each functional manager may have to plan out the work process so that things work smoothly and in the right direction. All the functional managers may have to sit in a meeting and discuss on the larger perspective, and this way with proper cooperation and coordination the firm is able to achieve the desired level of success. There are so many ways that proves planning to be a crucial and effective element towards the success of any organization. A manager should not conduct the planning on his own, but he must make sure that all the concerned employees and staff is involved so that better decisions can be made. In this way many new ideas can be achieved which will be an asset for the manager to ponder and take decisions accordingly. However, without a successful execution of the decision and without considering all the important potential risks towards planning, it can create serious issue and destruction to the project (Belker, 2012). Planning is among the top most managerial roles as it contributes largely to build a constructive outcome for managers. It is associated with many aspects of other managerial roles and works as a basis for them all. Planning makes action easier Planning allows managers to evaluate and determine the alternative methods of execution. It enables better understanding of the probable results of all the actions under consideration. When the manager attains a better vision to the future outcomes, then he/she would be more likely to handle the probable risks more efficiently. Moreover, planning helps to take cautious decision with intelligent judgment and enhanced knowledge of effective conveyance of the action (Daft, 2011). Planning minimizes uncertainty factor With the help of effective and carefully well thought planning process, managers are able to minimize the uncertainty factor which hinders into the way of getting the required results. There are always some complexities and uncertainties in the context of management, however it needs to be coped up through smart and active planning in order to understand the nature of change (Grimme, 2008). When managers plan, they also have to take into consideration the element of risk in their planning process. With effective planning. managers are in a better position to take calculated risks for the firm. Planning helps in performance evaluation A strategic plan is a proven effective way to gauge the performance on several levels of planning and execution. The performance evaluation is an important step in conducting a project. Through planning, managers can determine how well the project is executing on different levels and can make sure that the actions are being taken in the right direction with appropriate measures. A well designed planning can empower a manager to determine the various performance attributes under their supervision (Grimme, 2008). Planning makes effective decision making Strategic planning stimulates the skill to peek into the future for managers. This is a great tool to highlight some important areas in prospect that can either benefit or harm the project. This information is extremely helpful for managers for taking proper and adequate measures (Neil, 2011). Effective allocation of resources Planning empowers justified allocation of inadequate resources of the company in the most appropriate way for gaining maximum output and long term goals of the organization. Strategic planning or short term planning also integrates investments and the successful integration of organization’s other core functions (Templer, 2011). Both short term planning and long term planning involves the effective use of human and physical resources of the firm. Planning makes organizations adaptive Planning enhances the skills of organizations to adapt and accept the various activities taking place in the internal and exterior context. This capability of adapting to the environment makes organizations flourish and they are able to sustain for a longer period of time. Flexible orgaizations are readily implementing changes and training their employees to adapt to the changing environment for becoming a successful organization. Well aware course of action Planning excites management to react, to take control of strong initiatives, to predict risk and threats and to minimize them, to assume and grab the opportunities that lies ahead of other challenges, and to achieve a competitive advantage over many others (A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, 2013). Threats and opportunities constantly come and go in the external environment, hence managers need to be smart enough to grab the opportunities as soon as possible. Managers should be in a position to deal with all unexpected circumstanes and this element has a position in the plan of the managers. Effective incorporation Planning is a crucial element to create effective incorporation of various decisions and actions for the managers. It provides a structure of performing activities that managers can benefit while maintaining a consistent approach of carrying out various functions (Neil, 2011). As discusses earlier, all the functional managers need to have a meeting and accordingly discuss the progress and status of the task completion by each department so that accordingly future decisions are taken. Conclusion In a nutshell, planning holds phenomenal importance for managers as it streamlines their work, safeguards against the risk of wrong decisions, creates an efficient communication channel for everyone, helps set up the objectives, understand and head towards their own goals and that of the company’s. The risk element of the organization is also handled properly by the managers under a well constructed plan. So, the managers being responsible people, hold great significance for their organizations, forming the path and creating clarity about where their destination resides and how to reach it. Not establishing a proper and refined planning scheme can lead to missed opportunities, overlooking of weaknesses and bewilderment about the real aims and objectives. If managers do not conduct the planning process, then there are high chances of organizations failing in achieving the goals and objectives. With a plan, the employees know the tasks to be done and accordingly know to whom they should be reporting. Thus, the managers must institute the best planning structure for their organizations. References A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (5th ed.). (2013). Pennsylvenia, USA: Project Management Institute. Belker, L. B. (2012). The First-Time Manager (6th ed.). New York, USA: American Management Association. Daft, R. L. (2011). Management (10th ed.). Mason, USA: South Western Cengage Learning. Grimme, D. (2008). The New Manager's Tool Kit: 21 Things You Need to Know to Hit the Ground Running (1st ed.). New York, USA: AMACOM. Neil, S. (n.d.). Bare Knuckle People Management: Creating Success with the Team You Have - Winners, Losers, Misfits, and All (1st ed.). Dallas, USA: Library of Congress. Templer, R. (2011). The Rules of Management, Expanded Edition: A Definitive Code for Managerial Success (Richard Templar's Rules) (2nd ed.). New Jersey, USA: Pearson Education. v Read More