A company without individuals Essays

A company without individuals Essays A company without individuals Essay A company without individuals Essay We cannot conceive of an organization or a company without individuals assuming the leadership roles. All myriad tasks that a particular organization performs from planning, organizing, leading to managing, require the skills and ability of a good leader or manager. This is especially true in strategic planning wherein most of what will happen in an organization’s future depends on the quality of the strategies planned during the planning. John M. Bryson (2004, p. 297) emphasized that strategic planning is not a substitute for effective leadership, otherwise put, there is no substitute for effective leadership when it comes to planning. He further adds that whether strategic planning helps or hurts depends on how leaders at all organizational levels use- or misuse it.Since the readings’ primary topics are centered on public and non-profit organizations and the relevance of strategic planning to it, it should be emphasized that these will not be successful without the gu idance of a good leader. This reflection is aptly stated on the subtitle of chapter 11 of Bryson’s book which reads as â€Å"leadership roles for making strategic planning work.† Strategic planning and good leadership go hand in hand towards the attainment of organizational success, nevertheless this still requires the cooperation of all members/employees of the organization concerned.It has been explained that â€Å"planning organizational success is complex because it should involve representatives from your partners, internal clients, external clients, and society. Before any major adventure, such as climbing a mountain, experts agree that there is a process of preparing to plan, including considering whether you should climb the mountain in the first place. This step mitigates the danger of rushing into action without thinking about implications, consequences, and potential scenarios.† (Kaufman, et. al. p, 82) We can observe from the readings that there is a direct interrelationship between the higher level management and the subordinates of each manager. A particular organization will not be successful in its endeavors if without the support of all. So it is advised, as one key to effective strategic planning and implementation, to understand the people involved in implementing the strategies planned. In addition to this, it is important also for a leader to know his very self, his capabilities and strength. Why? The answer is that â€Å"understanding oneself and others is particularly important for developing the strength of character and insight that invigorates leadership and increases the chances that strategic planning and implementation will help the organization.† (Bryson, p. 299) In addition, leaders should seek to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the people who are or should be involved in strategic planning and implementation, including them.Strategic planning is a complex process, the management must have d efinite points wherein they will start their actions based on the plan. By doing this, all concerned will act in accordance to these starting points. A concerted fluidity of actions will materialize going on the same direction. This method eases the burden of solving problems, conflicts of ideas and defines the results needed to be achieved within a particular frame of time. As was explained, â€Å"if you want to solve any problem, it is important to get the language and definitions right. If we fail to define our terms, we will fail to communicate. Shared meaning about a significant problem, its causes and solutions is based on well-defined terms. (Kaufman, et. al., p.113) In addition to this, assessment comes into play here again. As what I have learned earlier, I agree that assessment is indispensable in every endeavor of the organization. To be specific, Roger Kaufman, et. al., (2003) enumerated the importance of assessment. These are; 1) assessment define problems and needs an d state them in measurable performance terms, 2) assessment brings rigor to the identification and solving of organizational and human performance problems related to strategic, tactical, and operational directions, 3) this serves as the foundation for proactive planning, and 4) assessment asks the critical questions that help to resolve conflicts and problems of the organization.Basically, all the prerequisites for a successful strategic planning have been enumerated. Hence, the next thing to do is to start with strategic planning. It is a good lesson based on the readings, specifically John M. Bryson’s, that when strategic planning is to be started it must â€Å"start where you and the other people who might be involved in or affected by the process currently are.† Doing this would be efficient because the individuals already are comfortable with their tasks and functions and they already know the intricacies of their jobs. Therefore, what remains to be done, is just the implementation of the strategies. He further adds that wherever you start, you must also keep in mind where the participants currently are. Other involved or affected parties are likely to need some education concerning the purposes, processes, and products of strategic planning. If they are important for the formulation or implementation of strategies, you will need to bring them along so that they can be effective supporters and implementers.For brevity, strategic planning must be initiated where the individuals concerned are comfortable with, and their must be a collaboration between the leaders and the members of the organization on the formulation of strategies in order to make the strategic planning relatively easy.An organization will not survive without a good leadership guiding it. Therefore, a leader must have the necessary skills needed for him to serve as everyone’s guide when problems and challenges meet head on with the organization. And one way to overcome challenges is through strategic planning. Management leaders must be at the forefront of this planning endeavor. Strategic planning helps in conceptualizing answers to problems before they even happen and provides alternative solutions to these problems.