Neida Caro boone OST2501C OFFICE MANAGEMENT Chapter 1 What are the three basic steps in planning Why do supervisors tend to slight the planning function Planning is management s first and most critical fundamental role before all other activities There are very basic but fundamental steps in planning Those are Defining the fundamental purpose of the company or organization s mission Creating a goal or objective Having a strategy to implement policies and procedures that allows the business to reach their objective or mission These functions allow the setting up of objectives and the Identifying any future obstacles that can affect future goals Planning is one the most important aspects of management because as managers or supervisors you are responsible for the detailed plans involved in daily work planning of your employees Due to the chaotic environment of corporate America s supervisors may forgo planning or may concentrate on more present issues This can affect the outcome of further tasks or performances within the company 2 How does planning differ among the top intermediate and supervisory management levels In Top level management strategic planning is typically utilized for long term operations whereas tactical planning is used for short term objectives and resource allocation Tactical planning is an essential element of the planning process since it is where employees establish and prioritize their goals Management planning varies according to the level of management at which it occurs For example Top Level managers are more involved in strategic planning which will impact the entire business whereas Middle level managers are more concerned with operational planning which consists of both intermediate and short term planning that allows long term strategic plans to be achieved Lower level management is responsible for direct interaction with the workforce Middle level management acts as an intermediary by voicing employee grievances and clarifying higher level goals and objectives to the workforce Within a business there are various managers with different titles and authority levels It is crucial to properly understand the key differences between the three levels of management and how each level allocates duties and responsibilities to the entire workforce 3 What are some guidelines for setting objectives The key guidelines for setting an objective are the following A Select key performance areas for objectives B Be specific if possible C Challenging objectives D Keep an objective area balance E Objectives should be measurable F Involve employees in setting objectives G Follow up 4 What is meant by a hierarchy of objectives Explain A hierarchy of objectives is a set of goals that are organized in order of importance This structure allows for a clear understanding of how each goal is related to the others in the organization and how they contribute to the overall mission It also helps to prioritize resources and tasks in order to effectively reach the desired outcome Top management determines the businesses overall objectives and the subordinate levels reflect on these objectives on their own This helps the higher management to attain these objectives to pursue business missions 5 What is the difference between a policy a rule and a procedure A policy is a guideline while a procedure is the method of action However Policies are more like rules while procedures are more detailed step by step instruction systems Policies tend to change less frequently while procedures are prone to changes The most popular type of policies rules and procedures are standing plans because they are used repeatedly Policies are used as guides for making decisions and keep the structure consistent Policies are the foundation of a business and they can be written or unwritten Rules carry more strength that policies because they are more final or definite Finally procedures outline the steps needed to be performed to follow through with a certain goal 6 What is a Gantt chart How does it differ from the critical path method A Gantt chart is a visual representation of completion dates of plans plotted against a horizontal timeline This chart does not show how these completion dates correlate with each other but more so indicates its scheduled time and progress within a specific time Critical path methods identify the activities needed to complete a project or task how the task will be completed the steps needed to complete and the relationship between these tasks The critical path method is a project management technique for process planning that distinguishes between critical and non critical issues with the goal of preventing time frame problems and process bottlenecks which is most commonly used for complex one time projects 7 What is contingency planning Explain A contingency planning means having an anticipated solution in advance for any problem or circumstance Contingency planning prepares an establishment or business to respond in the best possible manner to an unexpected crisis or emergency 8 Distinguish between objectives and strategies An objective is a task you intend to accomplish or a goal of a specific project you want to achieve A strategy explains how a goal will be accomplished through the utilization of resources A plan outlines the ways by which the outcomes are developed A strategy typically entails establishing goals and priorities deciding on actions to take in order to attain the goals and gathering resources with which to carry out the determined activities references https study com learn lesson types planning overview purpose html n d Retrieved January 18 2023 from https study com learn lesson types planning overview purpose html Barr E 2020 February 12 The 3 Different Levels of Management bull SpriggHR Retrieved January 18 2023 from https sprigghr com blog hr professionals 3 different levels of management How to Succeed with Planning in Management and Why it is Important RingCentral UK Blog 2019 November 6 Retrieved January 18 2023 from https www ringcentral com gb en blog planning in management QCLZP4 T n d Chapter 2 Fundamentals of Planning Retrieved January 18 2023 from https www academia edu 36644408 Chapter 2 Fundamentals of Planning