Management begins with planning. Good management starts with good planning. And good pre-planning prevents… well, you know the rest. Without a plan, you will never succeed. If you manage to achieve the goal, it will be by luck or chance and it will not be repeatable. You can make it a flash in the pan, an overnight sensation, but you will never have the track record of accomplishments that led to success. Figure out what your goal is (or listen when your boss tells you). Then determine the best way to get there. What resources do you have? What can you get? Compare the strengths and weaknesses of individuals and other resources. Will giving four workers a task that takes 14 hours cost less than renting a machine that can accomplish the same task with a single worker in 6 hours? If you change the first shift from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., can they handle the early evening rush so you don't have to hire an extra person for the second shift? Look at all the likely scenarios. Plan for them. Determine the worst possible scenario and plan for it too. Evaluate your different plans and determine what you think will work best and what you will do if it doesn't. TIP: One of the most often overlooked management planning tools is the most effective. Ask the people doing the work for their feedback. Get organized. Now that you have a plan, you need to make it happen. Is everything ready before your group so that the right things come to your group at the right time? Is your group ready to do its part of the plan? Is the downstream organization ready for what your group will deliver and when it will happen? Are workers trained? Are they motivated? Do they have the equipment they need? Are there spare parts available for the equipment? Did purchasing order the materials? Is this the right thing? Will he get here on schedule? Take the necessary steps to ensure that everything needed to execute the plan is ready to go, or will be when needed. Check back to make sure everyone understands their role and the importance of their role to overall success. DirectNow flips the “ON” switch. Tell people what to do. I like to think of this part as leading an orchestra.