Planning a key component to growth

Planning a key component to growth

Many of us indulge purposefully at the spur of the moment without giving it an elaborate thought or sitting down to plan out the course of events that may make or break a string of events or an event.

Planning is essential in that it allows you to think in between the various segments in the flow chart and trace out areas that are grey and need filling in. On the contrary actions taken on the spot always fail to fill the gaps, since time at your disposal is short and the eye span on the problem remains edgy and short.

Planning can bring in ideas on what can be encountered by way of problem areas before, while and after implementation of ideas. Even while discussing an idea more heads are fulfilling as it leads to sounder and wiser decision making. Also all gaps can be plugged. Comparing a group activity of planning to that of an individual could be like finding out an arithmetical error in a series of calculations. The one who has worked out the series of mathematical calculations often fails to pinpoint the error made during the course of his calculations. There is a lingering feeling of something being amiss but he is unable to put a finger to it.

He tries in vain pouring over the calculations a number of times in order to weed out the defect, but gives up in the end, since the mind tends to follow the same route when you pour over your own calculations again and again. This is when a second person seems to unearth the problem area in a shorter span of time and with fewer attempts. This is because this second mind is pure and fresh not tainted by the route map of the question on paper and no wiser than the blue print on the table.

But this new person can think in a new way without being prejudiced with the thought process of his predecessor. This is why it is essential to have a group pour over ideas. Team meetings and group discussions and board meetings are therefore practiced in industry where opinion matters and a broader consensus is taken on board.

Planning eradicates wasteful expenditure or wasted efforts that do not add up to the quality of the final product nor does it add value in material or money terms. A single mind ticking at an idea is all right but when it comes to implementation singly tackling it might not be the brightest idea going forward in organizations. To arrive at a uniform and informed decision one has to sit around and thrash out a line of thinking that utilizes best implementation methods.

I often travel to work via the Greater Kailash –II road that leads to Alaknanda in south Delhi.  For the past month or so they have been digging up the central portion of the road to establish a concrete divider that would keep traffic from merging and demerging onto the two way traffic, especially since parts of the road are heavy with traffic due to various reasons. First they built a divider, and then in few days’ time I noticed that parts of the concrete slabs/stones were dismantled.

First I thought that must have been the work of some disillusioned mind, but it soon dawned on me that it was actually the handiwork of the public works department, who dismantled sections to make way for concrete stumps that would probably act as bases for pole lights. Then I noticed some other portions were dismantled to make for obstructed walking/crossing pathways so that pedestrians did not have to take a detour.

This is when I start questioning the utility and practicability of laying down concrete slabs to form dividers then dismantling them to have other things built into them. Whoever or whichever department is engaged in this activity obviously did not have it planned and it also calls for unwanted expenditure a sheer wastage of public money.

Had they planned it properly they would have the design in front and planned all the ingredients well before start of work. This would have allowed them to not only complete the task at an earlier date but with a reduced expense budget.

The government lost it because they have not properly overseen the work in the bargain adding man hours all at a cost to the common man. The implementing authority lost it because what could have been completed in lesser days took more time, waste of labor, effort and manpower besides man hour, the calculation of which is surely going to dent their profits and effect turnover of the company. 

This is what planning does; it curtails wasteful expenditure, increases profits, and adds to the turnover and overall growth besides reducing wastage in all fringe activities connected to the main activity. Apply this to any area of life, individual. Personal or organizational the results will be the same.
 

Robin Varghese

Robin_vargh@yahoo.com

9^th June 2015