disadvantage if the future turns out differently from what you
expected – which is only too likely. Try to make plans that you
can change at reasonable cost if you have to. It is a bad plan that
admits no change.
PLANNING ACTIVITIES
As a manager, there are eight planning activities you need to
carry out:
■ Forecasting
- What sort of work has to be done, how much and by
when. - How the workload might change.
- The likelihood of the department being called on to
undertake specialized or rush jobs. - Possible changes within or outside the department which
might affect priorities, the activities carried out, or the
workload.
■ Programming– deciding the sequence and timescale of opera-
tions and events required to produce results on time.
■ Staffing– deciding how many and what type of staff are
needed and considering the feasibility of absorbing peak
loads by means of overtime or temporary staff.
■ Setting standards and targets– for output, sales, times, quality,
costs or for any other aspect of the work where performance
should be planned, measured and controlled.
■ Procedure planning– deciding how the work should be done
and planning the actual operations by defining the systems
and procedures required.
■ Materials planning– deciding what materials, bought-in parts
or subcontracted work are required and ensuring that they
are made available in the right quantity at the right time.
■ Facilities planning– deciding on the plant, equipment, tools
and space required.
■ Budgeting.
268 How to be an Even Better Manager