State any three features of 'planning'.

Features of planning:

(i) Planning focuses on achieving objectives:

• Planning is goal-oriented. Planning helps in defining objectives and preparation of necessary action plans to achieve them.
• These act as a guide for deciding what action should be taken and in which direction. Thus, it helps in achieving organisational objectives.

(ii) Planning is the primary function of management:

• Planning is the first and foremost function of management. All other functions like organising, staffing. directing and controlling come later.
• Hence, it provides the basis for other functions.

(iii) Planning is pervasive:

• Planning is pervasive because it is required in all organisations, at all levels and in all departments though the scope of planning differs among different levels and among different departments.

(iv) Planning is futuristic:

• Planning involves peeping into the future, foreseeing future events, analysing them and preparing plans accordingly.
• Its purpose is to meet future events effectively for betterment of the organisation.

(v) Planning is a mental exercise:

• Planning is thinking before doing.
• It requires thinking about 'What','How','When' and 'By whom' etc. It involves logical thinking about the future events and consequent decision making.

(vi) Planning is continuous:

• Planning is a continuous function. Planning process begins with the establishment of the organisation and continues as long as an enterprise is in existence.
• Also, it is performed in all situations and at all levels.

(vii) Planning involves decision making:

• Planning is essentially a process of making choice among various alternatives.
• There will be no need for planning if there is only one course of action.

Hence, we can say that planning involves decision making too.