[Essay] Too much planning may lead us to chaos, but so would too little, more directly (Mintsberg, 1994)

Introduction

Planning is one of the fundamental functions in management. It underlies the factors that will lead the organization into achieving its main goals. As stated by Mintsberg, (1994), “Too much planning may lead us to chaos, but so would too little, more directly”. From this statement, Mintsberg (1994) pointed out that organization administrators or managers shouldn’t overdo planning and makes it more complicated. As much as possible planning should be concise but not too little but it should be clear that anyone in the organization can convey and understand the plan since it is crucial to lay out a plan to organize the activities that are to be undertaken by the entire organization and not only the planner. The process of planning though entails setting the desired outcomes and drafting the set of actions to be implemented. It is a complex process that will require analysis of the organization’s strengths and weaknesses as well as the external factors such as the opportunities and threats. Moreover, an action plan needs to be implemented to assess the effectiveness of the set goals of the organization. In order to this, the managers will have to communicate the information to their subordinates. This undertaking entails competent interpersonal skills that will persuade and motivate the employees to work hard and in the long run, achieve the plans.

Discussion

The achievement of the desired outcomes or goals for the organization entails careful planning and not excessive planning. This process involves identifying in advance the things that has to be done, when to do it and who should do it. Goals need to established and arranged in order to create a short range and long range plan. For instance, the plan then is communicated to the employees and throughout the entire organization.

Primarily, planning is the most prominent among the management functions. It determines the failure or the success of an organization. One way of planning is through formulating a simple ‘to-do-list’. As managers get so busy, it is essential to create a list of the activities that has to be accomplished on a daily basis or else that plan would only lead to chaos. Planning should provides the individual manager a sense of discipline in accomplishing the goals and making the organization work. It is also a valuable method in assigning task to others. For example, another method that can be used is operational planning which is associated on the implementation of the of more long range plan of the organization. This involves the functional areas such as manufacturing, marketing sales and finance. Its main focus is on accomplishing the work at present and within a limited period of time. Lastly, strategic planning that entails the relationship of the organization with its external environment. It constitute the long range goals that are to be pursued and the alignment of the organization in the marketplace.

In any workplace, a significant amount of time is spent interacting and relating to other people. The ways we behave affect others and so is the fulfillment of personal and organizational goals. In the field of management, the people are the key element to get things done. The ability of an individual to cope with the complexities of the organization determines his performance and success as a manager. Successful managers thus, possess the ability to understand the behaviors of other people within the organization (Hayes, 2002, pp. 2).

As stated by Mintsberg (1994), planning should be direct that anyone can comprehend. Meaning good communication is essential. In an organisation, iinterpersonal communication is an indispensable part of the organization process. The ability of people to interact effectively with his colleagues can lead to the achievement of the desired outcomes. Such effects may include persuading others to work harder or the performance of activities that are beneficial to them and the organization as a whole. Interpersonal skills thus, consist of the goal-directed behaviors that are aimed at the desired outcomes through the face-to-face interaction. For managers, the interpersonal skills involve the relationship between superiors and subordinates as well as the customers and suppliers (Hayes, 2002, pp. 3).

The awareness of oneself contributes greatly in the understanding of other people. One’s behavior influences and reflects the way he sees the world and therefore interprets the idea of others. In the daily encounter with different people, it is necessary then to be aware of the ways by which other people perceive us. Similarly, the approach one uses in perceiving others affect one’s behavior towards them. For example, when a manager is assigned to a project with a specific team, he assesses the reliability of his subordinates. A bad impression regarded to a colleague affects one’s behavior towards him which in turn may discourage his enthusiasm. Thus, the perceptions created towards others become the basis for the construction of the courses of action to be undertaken. However, one should also be cautious in stereotyping people and making assumptions towards them as it may affect the performance and competency of an individual (Hayes, 2002, pp. 35).

References

Caroll, A, 1993,'Three Types of Management Planning: Making Organizations Work’, Management Quarterly, vol.34, no.1.

Hayes, J, 2002, Interpersonal Skills at Work’, New York.