Mindanao State University

College of Education
Graduate Education Department

Reporter: Nor-maliah M. Manding

Subject: PEM 304 (Seminar in Strategic Planning and Management)
Professor: Montia Jamilah D. Sarip,PhD

Topics: Planning and Strategic Management

Definitions of Planning
Planning is the process by which managers establish goals and define the methods
by which these goals are to be attained. Planning involves selecting missions and
objectives and the actions to achieve them; it requires decision making, which is
choosing from among alternative future courses of action.
Planning is thus taken as the foundation for future activities. Newman has thus
defined it as, “Planning is deciding in advance what is to be done; that is a plan is a
projected course of action.”
"Planning is usually interpreted as a process to develop a strategy to achieve
desired objectives, to solve problems, and to facilitate action" (Mitchell 2002, 6).

A. Nature of Planning

 Planning is goal oriented – Plans arise from objectives. Objectives provide guidelines
for planning.
 It is a primary function – Planning provides the basis foundation from which all future
management functions arise.
 It is persuasive – It is required at all levels of management. It’s not an exclusive
function of any management level or department. Managers have to plan for every
change that occurs in an organization. However, the scope of planning differs at all
levels and among different department.
 It is a mental activity – Planning is a mental process involving – imagination,
foresightedness and sound judgment. Plans are based on careful analysis of internal
and external factors influencing an organization’s activities. It is carried out in a
logical and systematic manner.
 It is a continuous process – It is an ongoing process of adapting the organization with
the changes in environment.
 It involves choice – it is essentially a choice among various alternative course of
action. A manager has to select the best alternative after careful analysis and
evaluation.
 It is forward looking – Planning means looking ahead and preparing for the future. It
involves analysis of the future needs and requirements of the organization.
 It is flexible – Planning is based on future forecast of events and situations. Since the
future is uncertain, plans are flexible enough to adapt with future change of events.
 It is an integrated process – Plans are structured in a systematic and logical
sequence where each plan or step is highly inter-dependent and mutually supportive.
 It includes effective and efficient dimensions – Plans aim at optimum utilization of
resources to be efficient and are based on predetermined objectives to measure
effectiveness of the plan.

B. Importance of Planning

 It helps us to identify our goals clearly. It makes us decide clearly and concretely
what we need to do to have the effect on society that we want.
 It helps us make sure that we all understand our goal and what we need to do to
reach it by involving everyone in the planning process.
 It makes us all work in a goal-oriented way rather than in a loose or ad-hoc way
where we just respond to issues and crises with no clear plan or goal.
 Planning helps us see in advance those things that can help us achieve our goal and
those things that can prevent us from achieving our goal and work out what to do
about them.
 Planning helps us to be accountable for what we do.
 Planning helps us decide how best to use our resources (people, time, money,
information, equipment) so that they make the most significant contribution to
achieving our goal.
 Planning lays the basis for us to assess and evaluate our achievements effectively.
Strategic Management
According to David (2005): “Strategic Management can be defined as the art and
science of formulating, implementing and evaluating cross-functional decisions that
enable an organization to achieve its objectives.”

According to Wheelen and Hunger (2002): Strategic management is a set of

managerial decisions and actions that determines the long-term performance of a
corporation.”

According to Johnson and Scholes (2004): “Strategic management includes

understanding the strategic position of an organization, strategic choices for the
future and turning strategy into action.”

C. Components of Strategic Management

1. Strategic planning is setting mission, objectives, and strategies: a clear mission

is required to define the field and scope of an organization. It is the purpose or
reason for the organization’s existence. Objectives are qualitative and quantitative
expressions of indicators used to ensure the proper implementation of the
organization’s mission. They represent the endpoint of planning. Strategies are
made for achieving organization’s objectives.

2. The Analysis of Environmental Forces (SWOT Analysis)

When doing a SWOT Analysis, you look at both External (macro-environment,
industry, competition, clients) and internal factors (resources, culture, competencies).
The external analysis aims to identify opportunities and threats in the environment.
The internal analysis identifies the strengthens and weaknesses of the organization.

Strengths - These are things an organization is good at doing or characteristics that

give it enhanced competitiveness e.g., physical assets, intangible assets, etc.
 Weaknesses - These are what an organization lacks, does poorly or a condition that
puts it at a disadvantage. A weakness represents an organization’s competitive
liability.
Opportunities - An opportunity is that which enables an organization to excel in
achieving its objectives.

Threats - These are factors that could inhibit an organization’s ability to achieve its
targets.

3. Matching organizational Structure, managerial activities and policies

When an organization attempts to implement its strategies with the help of an

outmoded organizational structure and organizational culture, it may fail to do so.
Thus, the implementation of strategies depends on how far they can be integrated
with the organizational structure, managerial activities, and policies. There might be
a need for rethinking the prevailing organizational culture to do so.

4. Managing resources strategically for achieving a competitive advantage

An organization should use resources to achieve its objectives. It has to identify and
use core competencies. Core competency reflects a firm’s unique knowledge about
how to accomplish something and its effectiveness in using this knowledge to satisfy
clients. Organizations also have to look for new competencies to compete in the
market with specific skills, knowledge, and abilities.

5. Strategy implementation

Strategy implementation is the process by which strategies and policies are put into
action by developing programs, budgets, and procedures. It is concerned with
ensuring that strategies are working in practice. This is the main element of strategic
management. Unless strategies are properly disseminated and understood by all
organizational members, there is no matter how powerful they are planned. To
implement, it is necessary to structure an organization to increase performance and
support the implementation process by allocating financial and physical resources.
 Finally, implementation depends on an organization’s capacity to manage the
change process. It is essential to put the strategy into action to change the prevailing
organizational culture and politics.
6. Strategic Control

Strategic control and evaluation processes help strategists monitor the progress of
strategy implementation. This process identifies performance improvement,
exploring gaps between actual and standard performance. Performance is the result
of activities. It includes the actual outcomes of the strategic management process.

The process of strategic control comprises a) establishing performance targets,

standards, and tolerance limits for the objectives strategy and implementation plan;
b) measuring the actual position of the targets at a given time; c) analyzing
deviations from acceptable tolerance limits and d) execute modification if/any are
necessary and/or feasible.

D. Time Management – A Technique for Planning

Time management and planning requires you to be self-motivated and confident this
can be the biggest challenge you face at work sometimes. The trick is to keep your
plans dynamic and interesting with the interests of the organization in mind.

Time Management plays an essential role in institutions and helps employees to

finish off assignments on time. Doing the right thing at the right time is called
Time Management.

Planning plays a pivotal role in effective time management. There is no point in

working just for the sake of doing work. Planning gives an individual a sense of
direction in the organization and motivates him to complete assignments on time.

Time Management Techniques:

1. Pareto Analysis
 The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s
the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of
Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving
problems.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:

 Problem solvers
 Analytical thinkers

2. Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco

Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each
interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo
created.

Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:

 Creative thinkers
 Those who feel burnt out from work/school

The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches
you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to
your daily schedule and weekly schedule.

3. Eisenhower Matrix

Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as
an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult
decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix,
or the urgent-important matrix.

Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:

  People in leadership positions
 Critical thinkers

4. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)

“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action
plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your
brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.

Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:

 Working students or parents

 People who have long-term goals

A GOAL WITHOUT A PLAN IS JUST A WISH - anonymous

Sources:
https://bbamantra.com/planning-elements-process-approach/#:~:text=Planning%20is
%20the%20conscious%2C%20systematic,actions%20to%20achieve%20organizational
%20objectives.

https://www.etu.org.za/toolbox/docs/building/webplan1.html#:~:text=Planning%20helps
%20us%20to%20be,and%20evaluate%20our%20achievements%20effectively.

https://www.mbaknol.com/strategic-management/key-elements-of-the-strategic-
management-process/#:~:text=Strategic%20management%20has%20three
%20major,strategic%20choice%2C%20and%20strategy%20implementation.

https://www.managementstudyguide.com/planning-in-time-management.htm

https://www.usa.edu/blog/time-management-techniques/

https://notespress.com/concept-of-strategic-management-components/