Question

State any five features of planning.

Answer 1

Planning states in advance where to go and in which direction to move ahead. It is a continuous process that helps in reducing the risk of uncertainty. Planning is an essential activity that provides the rationale for undertaking policies in the direction of achieving goals. Following are the highlighted features of planning:

(i)Focus on objectives: Planning serves the basis for guidelines for the goals to be achieved and the way they are to be achieved.Any management should formulate plans keeping specific goals in mind. These plans must ensure that the desired objective is attained. The managers must make sure that the plans made are purposeful. For example,if sales target is to be achieved, then the plans must be made in sync with this objective.

(ii) Stepping stone: Planning serves as the stepping stone for all other functions of an organisation. In other words,planning precedes all other functions such as organising, directing,staffing and controlling. This is because plans state the objectives and all over the functions are in accordance with the said objectives. Once the plans are determine,the roles of other interrelated functions come into place. Thus, planning sets the basis for other functions of an organisations.

(iii)Pervasiveness: Planning must to done at all levels of the organisation. It is not a function of just the top level managers; it is function to be performed at every level of management. However, its scope differs across the various dimensions of business. for example, the top level managers have to chalk out the policies regarding the overall management, whereas the middle levels manager plans out the authority to be assigned to the subordinates. On the other hand, the lower level managers make out small targets for day-to-day working.

(iv)Continuity: Planning should be done continuously. This is because after the completion of one plan period, the need arises for the formulation of another plan keeping in view the new objectives and circumstances . Moreover, within a plan period, need may arise to modify plans as per the changing needs and requirements. Thus, planning does not have an end. It is a continuous process along the life of a business enterprise.

(v) Choice making: Planning is a process of making choices amongst different alternatives for the attainment of the desired objectives. These alternatives are based on the path to be taken, strategies or policies to be followed to achieve the goals, etc.Managers need to evaluate these choices thoroughly and then the select the most rational scheme to achieve the set objectives.

(vi) Futuristic: Plans must be futuristic in nature.In other words,they must be able to foresee and analyse the future.Planning should be done so as to prepare the organisation to deal with the future events.Managers must be able to anticipate the probable situations and plan accordingly so as to cope with them in a better manner.