7 Effective Planning Steps

Effective planning is usually the result of seven specific steps:

• Consider the task - This involves what has to be done, who does what, when, where, and how.
• Consider the resources - What time is available? What equipment and supplies are needed and available? What are the skills of the people in your group? What other items should be considered?
• Consider the alternatives - What happens if something go wrong? What are the plans for emergency events? What is the alternate plan and could this plan be better than the original plan?
• Reach a Decision - Who has the Responsibility? Is a poor decision better than no decision at all? Is no decision a decision?  Is a group decision the best? A decision usually is needed at every step in the process of planning.
• Write down the plan - The act of writing down your plan may cause it to be revised and more refined. This way the final plan might need considerable discussion.
• Put the plan into action - I feel so many of us fall short at this step.  All too often, the greatest of plans are formed but never followed through.
• Evaluate - Evaluation must take place all during this process. As each step is taken, it is evaluated against the previous steps to assure that the original goal or task is still being considered.

The steps for planning are very similar to those for problem solving.  Solving one of your problems is a type of planning.  Like, “How am I going to create more Income?” Developing a plan is a type of of problem solving. Just substitute the word task with the problem and the seven steps can be used in both cases.

I will again focus on 6th Bullet point - PUT INTO ACTION. The greatest plan in the world is useless if not put into action.  For example, how many of us made a great “New Year’s Resolution” Plan, then never put it into Action mode or gave up on it two weeks in.  The plan was perfect, so what went wrong.  Daily Action, will give us the motivation and fire to get pass the pain, so we can achieve the task we set for ourselves.  Stay in Action mode until your task is done.  But, If you are in Action mode, and not getting closer to your task, then you need to go to step #7 and Reevaluate your plan.  Is what your doing really the best plan?

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