Levels of planning
Let’s break down the levels of planning based on four important factors: time, level, broadness, and use. This will help explain how each type of planning differs in its focus and purpose.
1. Strategic Planning
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Time: Long-term (typically 3 to 5 years, or even longer).
- Example: Planning what career you want or where a company wants to be in 5 years.
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Level: Top-level management (the highest decision-makers, like CEOs or school principals).
- Example: A principal planning the future vision for the school.
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Broadness: Very broad (big-picture thinking that involves major goals and directions).
- Example: Deciding on what career path to pursue in life or what industry a company wants to dominate.
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Use: Sets the overall direction (provides a roadmap for where you want to go).
- Example: You decide you want to become a doctor, or a company decides to expand into new markets.
2. Tactical Planning
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Time: Mid-term (usually from 6 months to 2 years).
- Example: Planning what courses to take over the next few years to get into college.
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Level: Middle-level management (managers, department heads, or team leaders).
- Example: A head of the science department planning next year's curriculum.
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Broadness: More specific than strategic planning (but still not super detailed).
- Example: Choosing which classes you’ll need to take to fulfill your dream of becoming a doctor, or a company figuring out how to market a new product.
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Use: Breaks down the strategic plan into specific steps (how to achieve the big goal).
- Example: Deciding which advanced classes you need to take, or a business working on marketing campaigns to support the expansion plan.
3. Operational Planning
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Time: Short-term (day-to-day, weekly, monthly, or up to a year).
- Example: Making a weekly study schedule or planning your daily routine.
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Level: Lower-level management (supervisors or team members working on the ground).
- Example: A teacher creating a daily lesson plan.
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Broadness: Very specific and detailed (focuses on day-to-day actions and tasks).
- Example: Planning how much time you’ll spend on each subject tonight, or a company planning production shifts.
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Use: Executes the tactical plan (focuses on making sure things get done on time and correctly).
- Example: Studying two hours of math every day for a week to prepare for a test, or a company making sure enough products are produced each day to meet the sales goals.
Summary of Planning Levels Based on Time, Level, Broadness, and Use:
| Type of Planning | Time Frame | Level | Broadness | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic Planning | Long-term (3-5 years or more) | Top-level management (CEOs, Principals) | Very broad | Sets overall goals and direction |
| Tactical Planning | Mid-term (6 months - 2 years) | Middle-level management (Department heads, Managers) | More specific | Breaks down the strategic plan into steps |
| Operational Planning | Short-term (Daily, Weekly, Monthly) | Lower-level management (Supervisors, Team leaders) | Very detailed | Executes the tactical plan, handles day-to-day tasks |
Each type of planning is important and builds on the other: Strategic sets the big goals, Tactical figures out how to achieve them, and Operational makes sure the daily tasks get done to keep things moving in the right direction.