What factors lead to an appropriate planning process?

Consider the following factors:

1. Create a planning culture.

2. Focus planning on setting realistic goals. The first step is to rexamine the business mission statement and associated short and long-range goals. If goals are not established, planning is meaningless.

3. Set realistic deadlines for planning tasks. Setting a time deadline for the first draft of the plan is important.

4. Provide sufficient resources to support the planning process.

5. Identify assumptions about the industry and market environment.

6. Early in the process focus on outcomes and desired results from the planning process. What are the expected results of the planning process? Why are we developing a plan?

7. Establish evaluation procedures as part of the plan. A plan should be evaluated as it is being implemented.

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