What is planning? Types of planning. Prioritization
The planning process
Planning is the process of optimal allocation of resources necessary to achieve set goals and objectives, as well as a set of processes that are associated with their formulation and implementation. Planning is an integral part of time management (time management) and, when used skillfully, increases its effectiveness many times over.
In its simplest and most formal interpretation, planning is characterized by the following stages:
- Stage of setting goals (tasks)
- The stage of drawing up a plan to achieve the goal
- Variant design stage
- The stage of identifying the required resources, as well as their sources
- Stage of identifying executives and briefing
- The stage of recording planning results in physical form (plan, project, map, etc.)
Types of planning
Planning, as already noted, is applicable to absolutely any sphere of life, but, depending on this, it may have its own characteristics, which, in turn, is expressed in different forms and contents.
Types of planning differ:
By necessity
- Directive planning - implies the mandatory execution of assigned tasks, always has a specific addressee and is characterized by increased detail. An example is the setting of tasks related to solving issues of state/national significance, work in enterprises, etc.
- Indicative planning is the antipode of the first: it does not imply mandatory and precise execution, it has a more recommendatory and guiding nature. This type of planning is widespread in the system of macroeconomic development of various countries.
By timing of achieving goals
- Short-term (current) planning - calculated for a period of up to 1 year and can consist of plans for a day, a week, a month, a quarter, or six months. The most common type of planning. It is used both by ordinary people in everyday life and by leaders of various organizations.
- Medium-term planning – calculated for a period from 1 to 5 years. This form of planning is common in the activities of government agencies, firms and enterprises, but is often used by strategically thinking people. In some cases, it can be combined with current planning, which in its entirety is rolling planning.
- Long-term (long-term) planning – usually calculated for several (5, 10, 20) years in advance. Most often, this type of planning is used at large enterprises in order to perform tasks of a social, economic, scientific and technological nature, etc.
According to the content of planning decisions
- Strategic planning is mainly long-term. With its help, the main directions in the activities of organizations are determined: expanding activities, creating new directions, stimulating the work process, studying the market and its segments, studying demand, characteristics of the target audience, etc. Widespread in the activities of organizations.
- Tactical planning is most often also long-term. Its main goal is to create the necessary conditions for the implementation of opportunities found through the use of strategic planning. As a rule, tactical planning is used when planning the economic, social, and production development of an organization. Widespread in the activities of organizations.
- Operational calendar planning is the final stage of strategic and tactical planning. Serves mainly to implement the process of achieving the desired results. With its help, all indicators are specified and the work of the organization is directly organized. Operational calendar planning involves determining the time for completing assigned tasks, preparing for the implementation of the process, maintaining records, monitoring and analyzing the process. Widespread in the activities of organizations.
- Business planning – serves to assess the feasibility, relevance and effectiveness of planned activities. The preparation of a business plan is done very carefully, taking into account all kinds of indicators, opportunities, proposals, etc. It is widespread in the activities of organizations and the work of businessmen.
In addition to the considered types of planning that take into account primary aspects, there are also those that take into account secondary ones. They, in turn, differ:
By coverage
- General planning – covers all the details of the context.
- Partial planning – covers some details of the context.
By planning objects
- Target planning – involves determining the goals required to achieve.
- Planning of means - implies planning of the means necessary to achieve the result (finance, information, personnel, equipment, etc.).
- Program planning – involves the development of programs necessary to achieve results.
- Action planning involves determining the actions necessary to achieve a result.
By depth
- Aggregated planning – occurs taking into account general parameters.
- Detailed planning takes place taking into account all the details and features.
By coordinating plans over time
- Sequential planning - involves a long process that consists of several smaller stages.
- Simultaneous planning - implies a one-time short-term stage.
Taking into account data changes
- Rigid planning – implies mandatory compliance with specified parameters.
- Flexible planning implies the possibility of non-compliance with specified parameters and the emergence of new ones.
In order
- Orderly planning - implies the sequential implementation of plans, one after another.
- Rolling planning - involves extending the plan for a subsequent period after its completion in the current period.
- Extraordinary planning - implies the implementation of a plan as the need arises.
Check how well you can plan your daily activities by solving this case:
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Prioritization
Prioritization is the process of setting priorities - an indicator of the predominance of the importance of a particular plan item over the rest. Prioritization is important for the reason that among a large number of different nuances and features, there are those that have the least significance and have minimal impact on the process of achieving the goal, and those that play a dominant role in this process. The ability to prioritize can be called another indicator of the effectiveness and efficiency of any planning process, because The emphasis on the most significant points of the plan is often decisive in the question of whether the goal will be achieved or not.
As you can see, planning as a process is characterized by a considerable number of different nuances. Any of the types can be used separately, or maybe in combination with others. The main thing when choosing is to take into account all the features of your activity. But, no matter how many types of planning exist, no matter how many we consider them, no matter how many examples we give, all this will have no value if we do not understand why we need to plan anything at all, what advantages it has how will this help us in life? It is these questions that we will try to answer in the next section.
First, we suggest you solve this case in order to practice prioritizing things:
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