Elements of a Good Plan

• Have a clear statement of the current situation
• Have a clear aim
• Reflect the resources available
• Detail the tasks to be carried out, whose responsibility they are, their priorities and deadlines.
• Explain control mechanisms that will alert the manager to difficulties in achieving the plan.
• Plan for contingencies, so that a rapid and effective response may be made to crises, perhaps at a time when you are at a low ebb or are confused following a set-back.

Making Effective Plans

• Involve people affected by the plan to gain their support
• Explain why the plan is being carried out
• Sell & resell the benefits to everyone involved
• Ensure that the required resources are available and remain available
• As far as possible keep to existing ways of doing things. This avoids unnecessary disruption.
• Build in milestones and review progress. This helps to keep a sense of movement in the plan, and allows achievement to be rewarded
• Use KISS (Keep It Simple and Straightforward)
• Keep the plan flexible
• Consider transitional arrangements - how will you keep things going while you implement the plan?

Detailed Planning

Evaluating Your Plan and its Implications

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