Planning involves deciding in advance how to approach future events. It allows organizations to forecast potential outcomes and make choices to increase certainty. Some key characteristics of planning include:
- Planning is goal-oriented and forward-looking, aimed at forecasting the future.
- It is a continuous and dynamic process that occurs at all levels of management. Planning also provides alternatives and choices for how activities can be carried out.
- Planning serves as the primary function that other management functions like organizing and staffing build upon. It is integral to all operations within an organization.