Concept of Planning and its definition given by various authors

Concept of Planning

• Planning is deciding in advance what to do and how to do. It is one of the basic managerial functions.

• Before doing something, the manager must formulate an idea of how to work on a particular task. Thus, planning is closely connected with creativity and innovation.

• But the manager would first have to set objectives, only then will a manager know where he has to go.

• Planning seeks to bridge the gap between where we are and where we want to go.

• Planning is what managers at all levels do. It requires taking decisions since it involves making a choice from alternative courses of action.

•  Planning, thus, involves setting objectives and developing appropriate courses of action to achieve these objectives.

• Objectives provide direction for all managerial decisions and actions. Planning provides a rational approach for achieving predetermined objectives. All members, therefore, need to work towards achieving organisational goals. 

• It is concerned with both ends and means i.e., what is to be done and how it is to be done.

• The plan that is developed has to have a given time frame but time is a limited resource. It needs to be utilised judiciously.

• ·     If time factor is not taken into consideration, conditions in the environment may change and all business plans may go waste.

•       Planning will be a futile exercise if it is not acted upon or implemented.

•       These goals set the targets which need to be achieved and against which actual performance is measured. Therefore, planning means setting objectives and targets and formulating an action plan to achieve them.

Various definitions of Planning given by different Authors are given below:

           “Planning is deciding in advance what is to be done. When a manager plans, he projects a  course of action for the future, attempting to achieve a consistent, coordinated structure of operations aimed at the desired results.” – Theo Haimann.

           “Planning is fundamentally a mental predisposition to do things in an overly way, to think before and to act in the light of the fact rather th.an of guesses.” – L. F. Urwick

      “Planning is a process whereby managers select goals choose actions to attain those goals, allocate responsibility for implementing actions to specific individuals or units, measure the success of actions by comparing actual results against the goals, and revised plans accordingly.” – Charles WL Hill Steven Meshane. 

     “Planning is deciding in advance what to do, how to do it, where to do it and who is to do it. Planning bridges the gap from where we want to go. It makes possible for things to occur while would not otherwise happen.” – Koontz and o’ Donnell. 

      “Planning is selecting information and making assumptions regarding the future to formulated activities necessary to achieve organizational objectives.” – Terry and Franklin.

            “The plan of action is, at one and the same time the result envisaged, the line of action to be followed the stages to go through and the methods to use.” – Henri Fayol.