Unlocking the power of effective planning and co-ordinating

Ever heard the phrase ‘fail to plan, plan to fail’? The saying emphasises the importance of having a well-thought-out strategy in order to achieve success or reach a desired outcome. Without a clear roadmap for our actions, many of us are more likely to encounter obstacles or setbacks that could lead to failure.

Without doubt, managers that adopt an approach of carefully planning and co-ordinating their resources and activities can significantly increase their team’s chances of success. By planning ahead and anticipating potential challenges, managers can take proactive measures to mitigate risks and make informed decisions.

The simple saying serves as a reminder that success often requires deliberate intention and preparation, and without a solid plan in place, you're more susceptible to failure or being overwhelmed by unforeseen circumstances.

Why planning and co-ordinating are essential pillars to success

Planning and co-ordinating are crucial management skills because they provide a foundation for successful execution and achievement of organisational objectives. Here are some reasons why they are essential:

Alignment of Resources: Planning allows managers to identify the necessary resources required to accomplish goals. Co-ordinating ensures that these resources are allocated appropriately and effectively to maximise productivity and minimise waste.
Goal Clarity: Through planning, managers can set clear goals and objectives for their teams, providing purpose and direction through clear objectives. Co-ordinating ensures that everyone is working towards the same goals, promoting unity within the organisation.
Risk Management: Proactive planning and co-ordination helps managers to anticipate potential risks and develop contingency plans to address them, ensuring smoother operations when unexpected challenges arise.
Efficient Resource Allocation: Planning and co-ordinating enable managers to allocate resources in the most efficient manner, preventing bottlenecks and ensuring a smooth workflow.
Adaptability and Flexibility: Planning and co-ordinating provide a framework for adapting to changing circumstances, adapting quickly to unforeseen events and capitalising on emerging opportunities.
Time and Cost Efficiency: Through effective planning and co-ordinating, managers can optimise time and cost management. By mapping out tasks, setting priorities, and co-ordinating efforts, they can streamline processes, eliminate system redundancies, and enhance productivity. This results in cost savings and timely completion of projects.
Communication and Collaboration: Planning and co-ordinating facilitate communication and collaboration, enhancing teamwork, aligning expectations, and overall organisational performance.

Amplifying Team Contribution

Planning and coordinating are not just managerial tasks; they form the bedrock of efficient resource allocation, goal clarity, risk management, adaptability, and impactful communication within an organisation. These skills, when honed, drive increased productivity, elevate organisational performance, and pave the way for achieving successful business outcomes.

Curiously, the acquisition of these essential skills is often left to chance, with organisations happy to assume that managers will naturally develop them through experience alone. Yet, just as organisations prioritise the learning of technical skills, it is important to also recognise the significance of the formal development of soft skills.

Introducing the Contribution Curve - a management and leadership competency framework that offers invaluable insights and guidance. This framework empowers managers and their teams to become top contributors within their organisations. The Contribution Curve consists of five levels, each representing an ascending level of managerial proficiency. As managers ascend the curve, their impact on the organisation's success amplifies. With their growing ability to make a positive difference, both they and their team flourish.

Planning and co-ordinating skills at the 5 levels of Contribution

Reacting

The reactive manager is inherently focused on the present—emphasising tasks, tactics, and immediate measures of success. Their approach is centred around promptly addressing problems and emerging issues occurring today, tomorrow, and next week. It is a mindset rooted in tackling staffing concerns and resolving capability gaps in the here-and-now, placing individuals where their skills are most needed now, with little thought on future impact.

Controlling

As we progress up the contribution curve, the controlling manager is skilled in devising, securing, and harmonising resources and activities within a short to medium-term timeframe. They recognise the need to plan ahead and proactively ensure that their team will possess the necessary capabilities in the coming weeks and months. Controlling managers navigate the intricacies of resource allocation and coordination, enabling their teams to function effectively amidst evolving demands and objectives.

Directing

Up at the directing stage, the manager operates with a focus on the medium term, looking ahead six months or even further. Their strategic focus is on creating dynamic systems and adaptable processes that make sure essential tasks are completed effectively. It goes beyond focusing on individual tasks, the attention is on making improvements that can benefit the entire organisation. When faced with challenges or recurring issues in specific tasks, the directing manager's mindset revolves around identifying patterns and delving into the underlying processes. By addressing and optimising these processes, they foster flexibility and adaptability, ensuring that the right priorities are met efficiently. Directing managers have a clear understanding of what drives contribution, they channel their efforts, prioritising key tasks that align with organisational goals to streamline operations and move the organisation toward sustainable success.

Facilitating

Collaboration is at the heart of everything that the facilitating manager does. They work closely with their peers to not only deliver on the strategy but also to address roadblocks, secure resources, and eliminate low contributing activities. Instead of engaging in competition, they take a proactive approach to identify what's not working, without assigning blame, and focus on finding solutions. They don’t assume that everything needs to be done; rather, they prioritise what truly matters. The facilitating manager extends their role to securing resources for the long term, constantly considering a sustainable talent plan, contemplating the resources required to achieve the organisations goals. They understand the importance of forward-thinking and strategic resource allocation. By streamlining their efforts and concentrating on high-impact tasks, they maximise team and organisational effectiveness and drive success.

Leading

At the top of the curve, a leading manager directs their attention towards the long-term, diligently contemplating the future needs of their customers. They engage in strategic foresight, envisioning what those needs might entail and proactively planning ahead. They strive to construct an organisation that not only meets current customer demands but also anticipates and addresses their future requirements. This entails developing strategies, business models, and organisational structures. They anticipate shifts in the business landscape and ensure their organisation is well-positioned for the future, while actively considering what the customers will require ahead of time. Their goal is to future-proof the organisation and deliver what the future customer base will need by fostering adaptability and staying ahead of the curve to establish a strong and advantageous position for the future.

Ramp up contribution in your organisation

Developing planning and co-ordinating capabilities not only benefit managers but also their team, organisation and the wider ecosystem of customers, suppliers, and partners. By cultivating a culture of increased contribution and efficiency, the organisation can unlock the path to higher performance and improved business excellence.

We have helped many organisations to increase the amount of contribution they make to achieve measurable impact. Why not get in touch to find out more and see how our Contribution programme can help your organisation?