The Value of Business Planning and Project Management

We live in an era where businesses and their employees are forced to multi-task on many different levels. Our everyday activities are often so consuming that there is little time left to focus on the bigger picture. As a result, business planning and project management are often sacrificed in order to complete work, and get through the day, week or month.

To avoid constantly working “in” the business it is important to set aside time to work “on” the business. To be effective, organizations need to take time to plan and manage their work, projects and growth. The planning and management process must be repeated at regular intervals to measure and determine if current ventures are progressing down the paths they were intended.

Here are 8 suggestions that may help:

1. Start at the end:  What do you want to accomplish? Set Goals - Revenue, Clients, Staff, etc.
2. Define:  Who is the audience for the plan, project or work? Adjust your approach accordingly.
3. Set your specifics objectives: What are the many deliverables that need to be completed to reach your goals?
4. Define your strategies: What different approaches are you going to take?
5. Set your tactics: How will you execute the details of the plan?
6. Create a time line of activities and their dependencies.
7. Measure / track costs, successes and failures.
8. Make adjustments.

Should you or your team need assistance on either of these areas, Meyers Norris Penny can help! MNP delivers training in the areas of Business Planning and Project Management and can tailor the session to meet your needs. For more information, feel free to contact your local MNP advisor.