Potential Obstacles to Planning by Manager

Planning is important in an organization. It is in order to make the organization runs smoothly, be productivity and as well as creating effective working environment. Beside, planning are made so that the organization will have goals and objectives to achieve. Planning can be a guideline to success. Without planning, the entire organization will be chaotic and something will definitely go wrong. However, there are few potential obstacles to planning by manager which are poor preparation of line managers in terms of their planning knowledges and skills, day-to-day work pressures, the views among some managers that planning is unnecessary, rapidly changing environment that makes planning more difficult and effective planning that was dominated by the planning specialists.

• Poor preparation of line managers in terms of planning knowledges and skills - To do planning, it need basic skills and knowledge so that everything that you plan will be the guideline through the process of making the organization runs effectively. Planning is not easy to do. It usually takes more time and also need the everyone's point of view. Therefore, the upper management or the General Manager should provide exposure to planning to all the first-line management. This is to make them well prepare when they get promoted to high managerial level and were asked to do planning. Then, they would face no problems when dealing with making planning.
• Day-to-day work pressure - Some manager are too busy with their work and they don't have enough time to do planning. There are more other works that they need to accomplish. Usually, manager will involved outside activities, meetings, and so much more.
• The view among some managers that planning is unnecessary - Some managers think that it is unnecessary because they are comfortable with their working condition. Planning will involves change in the organization. This will affect their comfort zone. Beside that, they might fear of failure when they make a plan. They resists to change. This will cause ineffective working environment.
• Rapidly changing environment - Due to rapidly changing environment, it makes planning more difficult to make. There are more things that need to be considered in planning. In changing environment, the manager also need to change the planning in order to suit with the situation or surrounding. These environments can be in terms of economic, social and politic.
• Effective planning was dominated by the planning specialist - Some organization do empowered the planning specialist to do the organization planning. They will have the more on the planning process. The manager did not participate in the planning process thus this will become their major obstacles to planning by the manager.