STEPS OF PLANNING PROCESS- STEP 3: DETERMINING ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF ACTION

Generally, every task in our lives can be completed with various alternative ways. We choose the alternative which is best suited in our situation and guarantees effective and efficient completion of the task. Say for example, ‘Mr. M wants to eat breakfast, now he has various alternatives. Option one - he can cook himself, option two – he can order from a food delivery outlet, option three – he can ask someone to cook for him.’

In the planning process, as soon as the objectives are set up, managers list out the alternative course of action available to achieve that objective. Based on these objectives, various alternatives available are listed. For example, a company aiming to advertise its products and services can use various media for advertisement like print media, digital media, telecommunication, etc. While listing the alternative course of action, managers must consider those alternatives which are verified and largely adopted as well as are suitable for achieving the organizational objective.