Practical Business Planning
Developing and Delivering an Effective Business Plan
“To fail to plan is to plan to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin, 1750
“No plan survives first contact with the enemy.” – General Helmuth von Moltke, Prussian General Staff, 1871
“Plans are nothing; planning is everything.” – President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1957
Business planning often has a bad reputation as a corporate ritual that absorbs a lot of energy, imposes stress, and delivers little value. Many strategic plans end up collecting dust on shelves, never to be opened, and sometimes serve no better purpose than as doorstops.
Despite this negative perception, the planning process—when used effectively—is a powerful tool that can distinguish good organizations from great ones. Just as Molière’s character Monsieur Jourdain discovers he has been speaking prose all his life, we all naturally plan our activities to some extent. The trick is for organizations to engage in the right kind of planning in the right way.
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The Value of Effective Business Planning
Harnessing Leadership Insights for Continuous Improvement
Our Practical Business Planning course demonstrates a practical approach using everyday techniques to harness the understanding and insights of business leadership teams. This approach aims to achieve continuous improvement through a well-managed business plan operating under effective governance processes.
The Importance of the Planning Process
Eisenhower’s and von Moltke’s military perspectives highlight a crucial point—it is unrealistic to expect that plans will unfold exactly as anticipated. However, the process of planning is what adds significant value to an organization in three main ways:
- Systematic Information Gathering
The planning process involves systematic and critical information-gathering about the business environment, both inside and outside the enterprise. This comprehensive understanding forms the foundation for informed decision-making.
- Promoting Team Alignment
Effective planning fosters teamwork and promotes alignment among stakeholders within the business. It involves a clear-headed appraisal of the current state of the business and an agreed vision of where it needs to be in 3-5 years. This alignment establishes the basis for a cohesive business plan.
- Specifying Projects and Accountability
A robust business plan specifies a set of projects that make up the overall program. It also allocates personal project accountability for key activities that will realize the plan. This ensures that everyone knows their role and responsibilities in achieving the organization’s goals.
Embedding Business Planning into Organizational Culture
The effective deployment of a business planning process is a key leadership responsibility. The AZTech approach demonstrates how this can be established and embedded as part of “business as usual.” By integrating business planning into the organizational culture, leaders can ensure that planning becomes a continuous and value-adding activity.
Join Our Practical Business Planning Course
Are you ready to transform your business planning process? Join our Practical Business Planning course to learn how to develop and deliver effective business plans that drive continuous improvement and organizational success.
