Some believe that planning is dead! They say that today’s environment changes too often and too quickly. Despite the disruptive and unrelenting pace of change, planning is still an important function in the workplace. A good plan provides a framework for organizing company resources and it provides direction for employees on how they can help the company fulfill its strategic goals.
The key difference in planning today is how this function is viewed and implemented. Effective planning is less rigid now than it was in the past.
As I coach managers, I often find that many neglect the planning function. Seven common reasons why many of them fail to plan are the following:
• Some managers dislike constraints of any kind. It is important for managers to keep options open to encourage creativity and innovation. Taken to an extreme, however, the lack of any sensible constraints creates confusion. Employees are unsure of the strategic direction of the company as they are constantly switched from one project to another. They eventually become frustrated and organizational productivity declines.
• Some managers assume crisis management is inevitable. There’s an element of truth to this view particularly as the scope of a manager’s job increases. Unrelenting crisis management is often a sign of insufficient planning, however.
When I work with managers in these environments, I challenge them to probe deeper for the root causes behind these crises. Often, these managers are revisiting the same organizational problems because they lack a plan.
• Some managers lack the time in their schedule to plan. This is always a challenge. In working with managers, I encourage them to improve their time management skills. Taking a time management seminar from a
