How to overcome the pitfalls of planning?

   Ø              Some of the ways to overcome the pitfalls of plans are as follows: -

1.       Understanding the purposes of goals and planning: - One of the nest ways to facilitate goal setting and planning process is to recognize their basic purposes. Managers should also recognize that there are limits to the effectiveness of setting goals and making plans. It is not that planning will solve all of organizations problems. Effective goals and planning do not necessarily ensure success i.e, adjustments and expectations are to be expected as time passes by.

2.       Communication and participation: - Although goals and plans may be initiated at high levels in the organization, they must also be communicated to others in the organization. Everyone in the planning process should know what the overriding organizational strategy is, what the overriding organizational strategies are and how they are all to be integrated and coordinated. People responsible for achieving goals and implementing plan must have a voice in developing them from the outset. These individuals almost always have valuable information to contribute and because they will be implementing the plans, their involvement is critical. People are usually more committed to plans that they have helped to shape.

3.       Consistency, revision and updating: - Goals should be consistent across the organization from one department to another. Strategic, tactical and operational goals must agree with one another. Because, goal setting and planning are dynamic process, they must also be revised and updated regularly.

4.       Effective reward system; - In general, people should be rewarded both for establishing effective goals and plans and for successfully achieving them. Because failure sometimes results from factors beyond the company’s control.

5.       Coping with the dynamic environment: - The environment outside the organization is always changing rapidly. Manager should be able to make the organization updated along with the changing environment. Like technological change. An organization must be updated technologically, new technologies makes the work easier. So, by coping with the dynamic environment goal can be achieved according to the plan.