Planning Time

[tconnor]

Business Management Tips #165
Planning Time

One of the biggest shortcomings of many managers and business owners is the lack of ability, willingness or time required to plan. Planning involves a variety of issues, steps, agendas, requirements and time. In the long run, my experience tells me that managers who spend adequate quality time planning an activity, project, strategy, campaign or any business event will save money, time, and energy and will contribute greatly to their bottom line, competitive position and overall reputation and success.

Where are some of the areas where managers/business owners/executives should spend their time planning? Here are a few to get you started if you are new to this planning activity. If you are not new but fail to spend the time you know you should, why not read the list anyway? What have you got to lose?

Please keep in mind that there always seems to be enough time and money to fix things, make them better or improve them, but never time or money enough to do them right the first time.

Why don’t managers/business owners/executives plan?

• They don’t know how.
• They do not like the idea of accountability.
• They say they are too busy doing – something – that was not previously planned.
• They don’t know what to plan (a constant crisis management mode).
• They delegate it to someone else (who usually has the same list going for them).
• Their idea of planning is a short meeting/discussion in the hallway on the way to the bathroom.

The benefits of planning:

1. Save money.
2. Save time.
3. Save energy.
4. Save resources.
5. Save people.
6. Reduce stress.
7. Get more done.
8. Reduce down time / loss.
9. Improve employee/organization productivity.
10. Increase sales.
11. Improve market share.
12. Less vulnerability to the: competition, shifts in the economy, consumer attitude changes.

Six easy planning steps:

1. Set aside a regular time to plan: once a day, week, month, year, etc. and let nothing interfere with this business activity.
2. Set an amount of time that you will devote to each planning session: 10 minutes once a day. An hour once a week. A day once a month – and so on.
3. Set up an agenda or list of outcomes you want from your planning session: i.e.: accurate budget, new employee profile, marketing strategy for a new product, or a list of what you want to accomplish today, next corporate meeting agenda or speakers to hire for your next training session (cute huh?).
4. Evaluate the necessary resources available during your planning session to complete your plan: people, information, money, time, and misc. resources.
5. Resist the tendency to let anything interrupt your ability to end your planning session without the success you set as your objectives.
6. Include a follow-up action inspection/accountability process with each plan (to make sure you integrate/apply what you did during your planning session) – even for your list of what you will do today.