Chapter 3: Planning is the Key to Performance

Planning is the key to performance. Without proper planning we will not be able to meet deadlines and live from crisis to crisis. It is therefore necessary to understand the planning process.

Planning is for achieving a particular goal or objective or task. For example, let us say that the objective is to get admission into a good college after class XII to get a degree in BCom.

The first step is to review of information available and collect information. Information is required for planning. In this example, information is required about the reputed colleges; method of admission e.g., entrance examination or class XII grades, fee structure, availability of hostel facility etc. Information not available must be collected before planning can commence.

The next step is to prepare an action plan. The action plan has to cover the various stages. In our example, the action plan could cover the following:

·        Short list the colleges you want to apply to.

·        Obtain and submit application forms.

·        If entrance examination is there, obtain details of past papers and start preparations. For highly competitive examinations like MBA, one may want to join a coaching class.

·        If you are selected by more than one college, which one to join and why.

If the objective is a more complex one like construction of a house, the stages will be different.

·        Select architect and prepare detailed project report and tender documents.

·        Issue tenders.

·        Evaluate tenders and select construction agency.

·        Place work order.

·        Prepare cashflow requirements and arrange resources.

·        Make arrangements for supervision and monitoring progress.

·        Nominate a supervisor responsible for each task. Someone has to be in charge. Resources in terms of men, materials, machines, money and time have to be allotted. Assessment of resources required has to be realistic. Men must have requisite skills. Time required for tasks has to be realistic. Preparation of work program by PERT/CPM/Bar chart is necessary. Establish landmarks for monitoring progress. CPM even in rough form is best as it establishes slacks and interdependencies.

Once a plan is made, we must make contingency plans. Very few jobs get executed exactly as planned. As per Parkinson’s Rule, if a thing can go wrong, it probably will. Therefore, once a plan has been made it is worth examining what can go wrong and plan as to what is to be done if something does go wrong. This is called contingency planning.

Each individual must plan his week and day. It is essential to list out tasks for the day. It is desirable to maintain a running list on which we score out tasks, which are finished and add new ones. The list can be on computer. The list should include both personal and official matter and also instructions to be issued.

There will be a number of things to be done every day. Hence it is important to decide which should be done first. Some guidelines, which should be considered are:

·        Issue instructions and distribute work first.

·        Keep deadlines, time for meetings in mind while deciding priorities. Deadlines must be met. If it is not possible to keep deadlines, the authorities or client must be informed in time so that they can take appropriate action.

·        Creative work should be done when your mind is fresh and not under stress

Time Planning is most important. You must be able to assess time required for different activities. It is useful to record time taken for activities.

Detailed plans should be made for visits and meetings. One must prepare for a visit or meeting to derive maximum benefit from it. You may list out the following:

·        What is the aim of the visit or meeting?

·        What information do I have to collect?

·        What documents and tools do I have to carry?

·        What appointments do I have to fix?

·        What is the time plan including time required for travel?

·        What administrative arrangement including bookings, meals, equipment like slide projectors, cameras etc. and how much money should I carry?

Please remember that detailed planning is the key to successfully achieve your objective and avoiding crisis. To plan one must have time to think.

We will teach you 12 chapters written by Col Bhaskar Sarkar in 12 different posts on Khabaratganj.com