Planning in Organizations
Written by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Copyright 1997-2008.
Adapted from the Field Guide to Nonprofit Strategic Planning and Facilitation and
Field Guide to Nonprofit Program Design, Marketing and Evaluation.
Planning is traditionally considered to be one of the four major functions of management, along with organizing, leading and coordinating/controlling. Simply put, planning is identifying where you want to go, why you want to go there, how you will get there, what you need in order to get there and how you will know if you're there or not. The following are many of the types of plans generated in a business organizations.
Common, Major Types of Plans
Other Types of Plans
Common, Major Types of Plans
Business Planning (plan a new business organization, product, business department, etc.)Basic Guidelines for Successful Planning (basis for many types of plans)
Management-by-Objectives (comprehensive process to ensure organizational goals being met)
Program Planning (design and carry out a major, internal or external org'l function)
Project Planning (design and carry out a specific, one-time effort, eg, building, product, etc.)
Strategic Planning (establish organizational goals and how to reach them)
Other Types of Plans
- - - Advertising and Promotions Planning- - - Disaster Planning
- - - Career Planning
- - - Computer Systems Planning
- - - Feasibility for New Business or Program
- - - Fundraising Plans (nonprofit)
- - - Leadership Development Planning
- - - Management Development Planning
- - - Marketing Planning
- - - Performance planning (for organizations, groups, employees, etc.)
- - - Performance Improvement planning (organizations, groups, employees, etc.)
- - - Research Design Planning
- - - Staffing Planning
- - - Supervisory Development Planning
- - - Training and Development Planning
For the Category of Planning and Project Management:
Related Library Topics
Recommended Books
There are many kinds of planning, e.g., strategic planning, business planning, project planning, financial planning, staffing planning, market planning, etc. These kinds of planning often have a common set of terms and activities among them. One of the best approaches to learning about this common planning process, as opposed to studying all of the kinds of planning, is to understand project management. At the end of this section are links to other types of planning that are explained in the Free Management Library.
Also See
Business Planning -- Recommended Books
Strategic Planning -- Recommended Books
