Planning is the fundamental function of management that involves anticipating the future and determining a course of action to achieve goals. It is goal-oriented, primary, pervasive across managers and organizations, intellectual involving imagination and adjustment, continuous as assumptions change, forward-looking to consider the future, and involves choice through decision making. The objectives of planning are to focus on objectives and results, reduce uncertainty and change, provide direction, encourage innovation, help with coordination, guide decision making, enable decentralization, provide economy, and facilitate control.
3. PLANNING
It is the most fundamental function of
management.
It is the basic process of setting up goals to be
reached and course of action to be followed.
It is in fact a prerequisite to effective
management.
4. PLANNING
Thus we can say, planning is the management
function of anticipating the future and the
conscious determination of a future course of
action to achieve the desired results.
And a plan is a predetermined course of action
to be followed in future.
5. NATURE OF PLANNING
Planning is purposeful : it is goal oriented. It is
directed towards efficiency.
Planning is a primary function : It is the basic
level of management process.
Pervasive process : Many people believe in
planning. It is the job of all the managers in all
types of organizations.
6. NATURE OF PLANNING
Intellectual process : A mental process involving
imagination, foresight and sound adjustment but not
guesswork.
Continuous process : An on-going/dynamic exercise as
old assumptions change, old plans are revised or new
ones are prepared.
Forward process : No plan can be prepared without
knowledge of future.
Involves choice : Decision making is core of planning
7. OBJECTIVE OF PLANNING
To focus attention on objective & results.
To reduce uncertainty and change.
To provide sense of direction.
To encourage innovation and creativity.
To help in coordination .
8. OBJECTIVE OF PLANNING
To guide decision making.
To provide a basis for decentralisation.
To provide economy in operation.
To facilitate control.