PLANNING: Characteristics of Planning Part - I

PLANNING: Nature / Characteristics of Planning Part - I

Planning is a management process and has some significant characteristics or nature which are described as given;-

Planning is a Continuous Process:

The planning is a continuous process or we may say that it is never ending process. First leading job is to do systematic planning prior to establishment of any unit. So it is the beginning and at times ending process.

In the daily activity, different levels of management are in a process of continuous decisions making, all are active according to the present & future requirements, not only this, as per the needs, changes are made according to the changing environment.

Different strategies are taken in account due to varied conditions.  Immediate or future implementation to the new arising condition is carried out. Hence, management never ends planning but keeps changing the plan as per its requirement or shifting conditions.

Planning Contributes to Objectives:

Planning in any business or industrial unit begins with the establishment of objectives. Without any specific objectives planning is irrelevant. Hereafter, it makes a decision for methods, procedures and steps needed for the accomplishment of respective objectives. 

Planning as Primary Function of Management:

In an industrial or business unit planning is the primary function. Planning precedes all other functions of management.

As it is known, first we have to prepare a plan, only then, the steps like, organizing, coordinating, directing, controlling, staffing, and motivating, etc do take place.

Prior to all other functions in management, it is the planning function that initiates the whole process. Pre planned goals are the prerequisite of other managerial function.

Planning is Forward Looking:

Planning is always looking towards the future or we may say that it never discusses regarding the past. 

Management utilizes its past experience to plan for future, anticipating the situational condition and environment.

Planning is Target Based:

Targets are planned and decided in the organization and all the concerned departments and their activities are synchronized to achieve this.

It should be kept in mind that fundamental targets should be within the perspective of fundamental objectives of the organization.

Planning is Pervasive:

Planning is not only for top levels of management, but it is for all the different levels of management.

Top levels of managers basically form most important plans and policies while middle level of managers or departmental manager devise as per the respective departmental requirement. On the other hand lower level of managers has to widely support the overall pre determined objectives and work on daily activities.

NOTE:

Few more points regarding the characteristics or nature of Planning would be dealt in future Blog’s.