9 Barriers to Planning -Strategies to Identify and Overcome

For any of the brand or the business venture to succeed in the market-beating the competition, it is required to have the skills and right resources of planning.

Planning is an important management function. But there are certain barriers to effective planning that prove to be a roadblock in the path of success.

Even the vision and mission statements of the firm are figured out and formulated after a lot of planning and research, and they also talk about the long term plans of the firm.

However, as easy as it may sound, there a lot of Barriers to Planning that makes the firm bare losses and become stagnant in the market.

Below mentioned are the top 9 Barriers to Planning

#1. Incompetent Leadership Skills

The team of planners is led by the leader in the first place, and it is the main onus and responsibility of the leader to make every planning and strategy of the firm successful.

The leader should be innovative, should come with a wealth of experience and knowledge, provide strategic inputs, and should be able to lead his team amidst stringent work schedules and environment.

If the leader lacks any of the attributes mentioned above or work qualities, it will surely act as the Barriers to Planning affecting the productivity levels of the firm on a long term basis.

#2. Excess levels of Distractions

When the distractions at the workplace become quite excessive, it results in the Barriers to Planning. For instance, if the leader is delegating too many tasks at one given point or is discussing two or more topics that are not related to each other at all, it results in complete chaos doing the planning taking a backseat.

It is always advisable for the leader to take some time out pondering over the aspects of proper delegation, planning, organization of the tasks, and make the work environment healthy and productive for his team members.

#3. No Systems in Place

Even if the team has done a thorough amount of research and study on the subject manner and the work-related tasks along with the prim and proper attention to the aspects of planning, but if the systems are not in place, there will be various Barriers to Planning, specifically to its implementation.

The IT infrastructure, office internet facilities, delegation and recordings of the tasks, and other such systems are very much required and that too in an efficient manner for the planning to result in the accomplishment of the desired business goals and objectives.

#4. Limited Manpower Resources

Some of the features and strategies of planning require the huge support of manpower to attain the aims and objectives of planning.

For instance, if the firm wants to meet the requirement of 1,000 deliveries of shirts to the client and the entire plan has been chalked out with an assurance of delivery. But if there is a lack or limited access to the manpower resources, it will act as the Barriers to Planning.

The firm needs to keep its manpower motivated and happy; else planning will go in vain.

#5. Limited Resources and Funding

To accomplish the aims and objectives of the firm, having required resources such as finances, manpower, office space, machinery, and others are a mandate. Of all, having stable and ongoing finances is a must as then all of the other resources can be taken care of.

However, the absence of any resources can result in the Barriers to Planning with the goals and objectives of the firm taking a backseat.

#6. Impractical Business Strategies

For the planning to be goal-oriented and effective, it is very much mandatory that the business strategies that are being planned and panned out for its application need to have a rationale.

If the strategies are impractical without having a long term vision or do not consider the needs and demands of the target market in a relevant fashion; there will be a lot of Barriers to Planning.

Top management of the firm and the team leader needs to have a practical approach and think over the strategies that are measurable, scalable, and attainable.

#7. Opposition to Change

Some of the outcomes of strategic planning and management result in the changes in the structure of the organization, the hierarchy of the management, changes, and development in the job responsibilities, and transfer of employees to other branches or offices of the firm.

And when the employees of the firm get aware of the changes that are going to take place shortly, they resist and oppose the same resulting as one of the Barriers to Planning.

#8. Lack of Motivation

When there is lack of motivation within the team, it results in the Barriers to Planning. Motivation can arise out of various reasons such as low pay packages, office politics, and lack of relevant and challenging tasks to the employees.

Hence, it is the main responsibility of the management of the firm to keep its employees and workforce motivated in order to accomplish its goals and objectives that are planned and envisioned.

#9. Complex Working Environment

When the environment of the firm is quite complex owing to the product and services that are too technical, there are various Barriers to Planning. And there is a top-up of the dynamic nature of the market as well that makes the situation even more difficult and confusing.

In such cases, it is the main responsibility of the management of the firm to ease out the working environment through various strategic measures that instil the level of comfort in the minds and perspective of the employees.

Conclusion

Even though there are various Barriers to Planning and the overall management aspects of the firm, if the top management of the firm is firm on its ethics, aims, and objectives owing to the wealth of experience and market know-how, it can seamlessly resolve the issues.