Planning

Planning is Required - Projects of any significant size require planning. If a project
merits planning then it needs a written plan. For small projects a mental picture of the
steps you will take may be enough but this is not a good idea for larger projects.
Committing it to paper will clear up hazy areas and bring to light problem areas that
have been overlooked.

Estimating Time - Probably the single most important aspect of the planning is an
estimate of the time it will take and how much it will cost. The time the project takes
ties in with our management of time. Planning is as fundamental to time management
as is organizing and prioritizing.

Here are a few advantages of planning:

Course of Action - It helps to maintain a consistent and clear idea of the
course of action we will be taking to complete the project.
Define - It does this by defining, in detail, the course of action involved in the
task or project.
Time - A good plan outlines the time required to complete the work.
Funding - Planning helps to determine the funding needed to accomplish the
required work on the project.
A Schedule - A plan details the schedule for the work and what will be done
each day, week or month.
Avoids Duplication - Planning helps to avoid duplication of effort.
Assigns Roles - When several people are involved in a project, a plan gives
everyone a clear idea of their role.

Objectives - Set objectives for the project.
Assessment - Assess the present situation and determine how to best take
advantage of it.
Study Everything - Study all the alternatives to come up with the best
possible plan.
Decision - Decide on the best course of action.
Control - Determine the best way to maintain control of all the activities
involved in carrying out the plan.
Implementation - Implement the plan. This is the most important part
because a plan is nothing without action.

Time Schedule - Remember that every plan should be time bound. That is, it
should have a specific time schedule for completion. And, it should be flexible enough
to handle changes that are necessary to ensure success.

A Calendar - Some workers prefer to handle routine tasks without much formal
planning. If they are self-motivated, this may work out fine. However, to ensure
completion of all tasks in a prompt manner you should consider using a readily
available calendar. Yahoo has an excellent calendar that you and your associates can
use free of charge. Each person can sign up for the calendar service and make a list of
the people who can work on each calendar.

Assigning Tasks - Once everyone is set up with the calendar, simply assign the
tasks to the appropriate individual at the required time and they can view it at
anytime and from any location with Internet access. This excellent calendar has
room for as many tasks as necessary, and all of your team can join at
http://calendar.yahoo.com.

An Impossible Schedule - Remember to plan for sufficient time to accomplish
the required tasks. It is pointless to set up an impossible schedule. You will not be
able to meet the deadline and this will simply cause frustration.

Planning is not action. It is amazing how many people spend hours, even days in
preparing a plan, and then more time massaging the plan to what they consider
perfection. The purpose of a plan is to take a purposeful course of action. Without the
action that follows, planning is worthless.

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