Competency: Planning

Definition: Planning gives direction and sets the framework for managing time and resources by identifying goals, setting priorities, and establishing the steps needed to reach those goals. Develops schedules, events, and timelines. Anticipates issues that may affect the schedule.

Planning enables you to set clear objectives, outline strategies to achieve them, and allocate resources effectively. It helps in anticipating potential challenges and developing contingency plans to mitigate risks. Planning is necessary for your development and success.

Contingency Planning Planning for contingencies, ensuring that you can respond quickly and effectively to challenges, minimizing disruptions and maintaining continuity.
Forecasting Predicting the future conditions that may impact your business helps you to anticipate changes and respond appropriately, staying relevant in the changing workplace.
Strategic Planning Defining strategy, direction, and making decisions on the allocation of resources while reducing risk and maximizing rewards.
Task Prioritization Identifying the most important tasks and focusing resources on them, you can achieve more impactful results ensuring that critical objectives are addressed first.
Implementation Putting plans into action is key to realizing strategic goals. Proper implementation ensures that strategies are executed as intended, leading to successful outcomes.
Project Management To oversee and guide a project from its inception to completion, ensuring it meets its objectives within the defined scope, time, and budget constraints.
Resource Management Ensuring the right resources (supplies/equipment/human/financial) are available to successfully implement the plan.

Organizational Skills

Business Acumen
Strategic Focus
Strategic Insight
Entrepreneurship
Company
Organizational Fluency
Fiscal Management
Planning
Vision
Global Perspective

Assessments Measuring Planning:
Survey 1 (4-point scale; Competency Comments)
Survey 2 (4-point scale; Competency Comments)
Survey 3 (5-point scale; Competency Comments)
Survey 4 (5-point scale; radio buttons)
Survey 5 (4-point scale; words)
Survey 6 (4-point scale; words)
Survey 7 (5-point scale; competency comments; N/A)
Survey 8 (3-point scale; Agree/Disagree words; N/A)
Survey 9 (3-point scale; Strength/Development; N/A)
Survey 10 (Comment boxes only)
Survey 11 (Single rating per competency)
Survey 12 (Slide-bar scale)

Contingency Planning

Is good at planning for the "unexpected".
Develops effective plans to deal with unforeseen circumstances.
Adjusts plans as needed according to situational/strategic changes.
Has plans to handle unexpected events.
Regularly makes plans for contingencies.
Always has a "Plan-B" ready if needed.
Explores new directions/approaches to overcome setbacks and roadblocks.
Develops and works contingency plans as needed.
Works toward identifying potential problems and solutions for addressing them.
Develops contingency plans to address potential problems.
Creates back-up plan for each quarter to ensure achieving sales goals.

Forecasting

Able to look ahead (beyond the present) when addressing the work/needs of the department.
Anticipates obstacles and ways to overcome them.
Anticipates potential challenges, develops plan to overcome them and then carries out the plan.
Anticipates challenges and has plans to overcome them.
Allows input from others for the 5-year plan.
Anticipates unexpected hurdles or obstacles to a plan or project.
Plans for future enhancements of the products.
Anticipates potential challenges, develops plan to overcome them.
Anticipates potential challenges and develops plan to overcome achieve success.

Organization

Works in an organized manner
Able to stay organized and focused using excellent planning skills.
Reorders the schedule of events to maximize attendance/efficiency.
Creates to-do lists to make sure nothing is missed.
Integrates planning across functional, divisional and departmental boundaries.
Organizes activities and events at conferences.
Organizes lists of items required for meetings or presentations.

Strategic Planning

Develops strategic plans for the company/organization.
Develops a strategic plan to reduce costs in the department.
Has developed an effective strategic plan.
Develops strategic plans for ensuring competitiveness in the marketplace.
Open to input from others into the plan for development of the strategic plan.
Assesses the potential impact of changes to the strategic plan.
Understands the process for developing strategic plans for the organization.
Anticipates the impacts of strategic plans.
Assesses the risks of various strategic plans.
Develops a strategic plan.
Utilizes strategic thinking in planning.

Task Division/Prioritization

Prioritizes tasks based on urgency/need.
Sets the appropriate sequence of tasks to ensure completion of the project.
Divides complex tasks into smaller steps to measure progress toward a goal.
Assigns the right tasks to the right people and holds them accountable.
Sets the appropriate sequence of tasks to efficiently achieve the goal.
Accomplishes major tasks by breaking them into manageable pieces.
Prioritizes tasks and allocates resources.
Determines the steps required for completion of a task.

Implementation

Delegates role to team members to accomplish goals.
Ensures everyone in the department is onboard with the current plan.
Closely follows the plan established for the department.
Involves relevant coworkers in the development of the plan.
Encourages others to follow the plan.
Is able to follow the plan set in place.
Consistently restates and reinforces his/her direction or forward plan.
Ensures performance measures are in place to monitor and assess attainment of goals and objectives.

Planning

Makes plans and follows through.
Is able to clearly articulate the plan for the department/district.
Analyzes market trends to plan the best course of action.
Develops plans used to accomplish urgent or critical tasks.
Ensures staff are held accountable for following the department plan.
Develops plans to help manage expectations and project demands.
Able to balance the needs of multiple stakeholders in developing the plan for the division.
Prioritizes plans based on a cost/benefit analysis.
Consults with the research department before making major changes.
Plans meetings effectively.

Project Management

Able to identify the needs of the department before a major change.
Creates a timeline to specify when each phase of the project should be concluded.
Creates effective project plans.
Creates plans to handle complex, multi-faceted projects.
Open to input from others into the plan for the project.
Initiates the planning process by defining the scope of the project.
Determines the appropriate actions needed to achieve goals.
Develops a detailed plan outlining tasks, resources, timelines, and deliverables.
Develops an effective plan to guide the project.
Identifies what must be accomplished for successful completion of project.

Resource Management

Determines what supplies/equipment will be needed for the department.
Understands what equipment will be needed for the project.
Accurately estimates the amount of materials/supplies needed for the project.
Purchases equipment and software that will be needed in the future.
Ensures staff have the supplies and resources necessary to enact the plan.
Understands what materials will be required to successfully implement the plan.
Determines what supplies/equipment will be needed for the project.
Determines the amount of materials/supplies needed for the project.
Identifies resource requirements that may impact the development of the 5-year plan.
Determines what supplies/equipment will be needed for the job.
Anticipates resources needed to successfully implement a plan or project.
Determines the allocation of funds based on plans for future development.
Identifies resources needed to accomplish objectives.
Develops systematic approach to get resources needed to accomplish the plan.

Scheduling/Staffing

Creates a timeline for events and monitors progress.
Schedules staff based on seasonal needs.
Notifies staff when the plan is not on schedule.
Adjusts and rearranges the schedule to maximize efficiency.
Reduces uncertainty in the department through clear planning and schedules.
Plans for future staffing needs.
Determines staffing needs for the project/department.
Plans schedules based on associates' strengths to maximize sales.
Plans and organizes events effectively.
Regularly plans and participates in networking and recruiting activities to ensure additional help is available throughout the year.
Plans schedules in detail to include breaks and specific assignments, by associate, by hour to maximize customer service.

Logistics Planning

Develops plans to ensure the smooth operation of the supply chain.
Develops good plans used for logistics.
Creates effective logistics plans to achieve high operational efficiency.
Effectively uses logistics planning to reduce supply delays.
Develops proper plans to ensure seamless flow of materials through logistics.
Able to develop logistics plans to move material through a multi-step supply chain.
Makes strategic and tactical decisions to guide the logistics process.
Plans freight processing during non-operating hours or off the sales floor to maximize customer service.

Time-Management

Conducts regular assessments of the project status to ensure adherence to the set schedule.
Plans for how to allocate time to specific activities.
Establishes and monitors timeframes and timelines.
Efficiently manages deadlines.
Sets up and monitors timeframes and plans
Accurately estimates the duration of tasks.
Establishes a course of action for self and others to accomplish specific goals.