Unit 5. Planning and the management process The Business of Management – Program 5 Test on the video film

A. Previewing task.

Task I. Before watching the film, make sure you know the following words and word combinations:

a flexible schedule budget challenge circumstances contingency forecast / prediction guidelines standpoint statement testament trend interest rate

expenditures on promotion in any endeavour the board of trustees the nitty-gritty thoroughly planned conceivable critical / crucial entrepreneurial remarkable to interconnect to determine to put an emphasis to be geared around smth to bundle the resources

to be predicated on objectives to apply the test of consistency to cope / deal with uncertainty to reduce uncertainty to establish / set objectives to exploit the opportunity to extend / extrapolate to perform a resource audit to reap benefits from smth. to accomplish / execute a plan to relate to smth to select / identify the relevant dimensions to transmit / to receive

B. While watching.

Task II. Match the words with their definitions:

1. plan	a) a definition of your current strategy in a simple language
2. scheduling	b) coordinating the activities in order to get a desired result in the end
3. budgeting	c) a long-term vision of how a company is going to succeed
4. strategic profile	d) an arrangement, especially one that has been carefully considered for carrying out some activity
5. strategic planning	e) determining what the cost of performing different tasks is going to be
6. tactical planning	f) determining everything that has to be done: the tasks, the schedule, the budget
7. operational planning	g) setting up a time sequence how different tasks are going to be done

Task III. The process of planning can be broken down into a series of basic steps. Rearrange the steps of a strategic planning process in the correct order:

1. Apply the test of consistency.

2. Define the strategic options (ways of bundling the resources to exploit the opportunity).

3. Do a strategic profile.

4. Make a strategic choice.

5. Make strategic predictions (forecast).

6. Negotiate the choice.

7. Perform a resource audit (SWOT analysis).

8. Study what is going on in the environment that is key for your business.

(Note: Most companies and organizations use their own terminology for these steps. While they may appear to compress several steps into a single function, the basic logic of the strategic planning process is fairly consistent).

Task IV. What are the benefits that organizations realize through good planning?

• improving the social status of the staff;

• reducing uncertainty;

• reducing absenteeism;

• introducing the flexibility to change;

• raising the salary;

• stimulating the employees and getting the most of their potential;

• establishing a direction for the organization;

• coordinating the work of top managers;

• coordinating the diverse activities within the firm;

• predicting and controlling the future

Task V. Translate the following sentences into Russian:

1. Typically, an organization formulates a single broad plan to direct its overall activities; within that organization individual managers use very different methods to generate plans for accomplishing their specific goals and objectives.

2. Planning consists of two basic phases, the first one is a five-year strategic growth plan and the other one is the annual plan which on a year-to-year basis becomes the first year of your next five-year plan.

3. There is no single method of planning to fit every situation. The type of planning a manager uses, and the emphasis he or she puts on planning, depends on the manager’s position in the organizational hierarchy.

4. Planning may involve a single manager, a management team, or a whole department dedicated just to planning. The work of these planners usually results in a written document, which is the end product of a series of studies, forecasts, and managerial decisions.

5. Most organizations use both short- and long-term planning strategies; both serve a distinct purpose and both are necessary components of an effective overall planning system.

6. The short-term planning results basically in extrapolation or extending the trends past two or three years in the future.

7. Planning isn’t an isolated act that takes place at a certain point of time and then stops; it’s a process, an ongoing activity that continues throughout the life of any organization.

8. The function of planning is to help to reduce the uncertainty by giving some explicit consideration to what might happen in the environment and uncovering those problem areas that might occur.

9. One of the crucial functions of planning is to allow a company to set a long-term stable direction for the business.

10. Planning sets the stage for the four other managerial functions, and is absolutely critical to the success of any organization.

C. Follow-up activity.

Task VI. Write a short paragraph (7-10 sentences) proving the idea that planning is one of the most critical ingredients needed for the success of any organization.