Chapter 5 - Planning

Which of the following verbs would be appropriate for a results-oriented goal?

Acquire Complete Decrease

What are the two control steps in the planning/control cycle?

Control the direction by comparing results with the plan. Control the direction by taking corrective actions.

Which of these represent measurable goals? (select all that apply)

Customer service agents should improve customer relations by making 10 follow-up calls each week. No more than 50% of cars should be sold below MSRP.

What are two advantages for a company that establishes deadlines?

Deadlines motivate employees to focus on the goal. Deadlines aid in making quicker decisions.

Which two goals meet the SMART goal characteristic of specifying a target date?

File tax return by April 15 Increase sales by the end of the first quarter

For goal setting to be successful, what must occur? (Check all that apply)

Goals must be applied organization wide Top management must be highly committed Goals must cascade through the organization

A(n) ______ plan defines the course of action a company should follow to achieve the stated goal.

action

Short-term goals (select all that apply)

are also known as operational goals are also known as tactical goals are connected to strategic goals

SMART goals:

are specific are measurable are attainable are results-oriented have target dates

Goals that are challenging but are realistic and achievable within the scope of the resources available to a company satisfy which aspect of SMART goal criteria?

attainable

Which of these are types of objectives used in management by objectives (MBO)? (Select all that apply)

behavioral performance learning

The process of ensuring that the strategic goals set at the top align with more specific short-term goals at lower organizational levels is known as _____ goals.

cascading

In terms of SMART goals, an "attainable" goal is _____.

challenging but achievable

_____ help us to stay focused on the big picture, concentrate and make quicker decisions rather than putting them off, and ignore unimportant matters.

deadlines

Cascading goals is the process of

ensuring that strategic goals at the top align with the short-term goals set at the lower levels in the organization.

Managers and subordinates jointly setting subordinate objectives is the _____ step in management by objectives.

first

Managers and subordinates meeting to appraise performance, discuss results, and allocate rewards is the _____ step in management by objectives.

fourth

In business, a specific commitment to achieve a measurable result within a stated period of time is called a _____.

goal

A means-end chain is used in planning to show _____.

how goals are connected across an organization

The two planning steps in the planning/control cycle involve _____.

making the plan carrying out the plan

Short-term (tactical) goals are connected to long-term (strategic) goals in a hierarchy called the _______.

means-end chain

Who is responsible for tactical planning?

middle management

A company's _____ is the purpose of the organization.

mission

The _____ statement expresses the purpose of an organization.

mission

The question "what is our reason for being?" should be answered by the organization's _______ statement.

mission

The purpose of management by objectives (MBO) is to ______ subordinates.

motivate

Management by ______ is a four-step process in which managers and employees jointly set objectives, develop action plans, review performance, and appraise and reward employees.

objectives

It is the function of the _____ to take the strategic plan and develop actionable short-term goals that a business can achieve.

operating plan

First-line managers are typically responsible for performing ______ planning within the organization.

operational

_________ planning is used to determine how to accomplish specific tasks with available resources within the next 1 -- 52 weeks.

operational

An action plan

outlines the tactics that will be used to achieve a goal.

Making the plan and carrying out the plan represent the two _____ steps in the planning/control cycle.

planning

You can use the continuous feedback loop known as the _____ cycle to ensure you're headed in the right direction once you've made plans.

planning/control

A _____ plan outlines the general response to a designated problem or situation.

policy

A _____ plan outlines responses to particular problems or circumstances.

procedure

The "measurable" aspect of a SMART goal refers to its ability to be _____.

quantified

When stating a goal, it is a good idea to start with the word "To" and follow with an action-oriented verb such as "increase" or "acquire." This describes the _____ aspect of SMART goals.

results-oriented

Employees preparing action plans represents the _____ step in management by objectives.

second

Strategic planning:

should communicate general goals and ways to achieve them requires visionary and directional thinking

A _____ plan directs activity, such as a project, that is unlikely to be repeated.

single-use

The letter S in the acronym SMART goal stands for what aspect of a good goal?

specific

A _____ plan is developed for activities that occur repeatedly over time.

standing

Top managers use _______ planning to determine what the organization's long-term goals should be for the next one to five years with the resources they expect to have available.

strategic

A(n) ________ provides a guide for a company's long-term goals.

strategic plan

Organizations use _____ planning to determine what contributions the departments or work units can make toward the organization's strategic priorities and policies during the next 6 -- 24 months.

tactical

The management team gave the IT department until October 15 to complete the software installation. Which aspect of SMART goals does this deadline demonstrate?

target dates

The company's mission statement tells us

the company's reason for being.

The fourth and final step in management by objectives involves _____.

the manager making a performance appraisal and rewarding the employee according to the results

The manager and employee periodically reviewing the employee's performance represents the _____ step in management by objectives.

third

Operating plans:

turn strategic plans into actionable short-term goals. break long-term output into short-term targets or goals.

A _____ statement expresses what the company stands for, its core priorities and what its products contribute to the world.

values

A company's _____ statement should provide a clear sense of the future and the actions needed to get there.

vision

A company's values statement expresses which of the following things? (select all that apply)

what the company stands for the values its employees embody the company's core priorities what its products contribute to the world

An organization's vision represents

where the organization wants to go.

Place the steps of the planning/control cycle in the correct order, with step one listed first (at the top) and step four listed last (at the bottom).

1. Make the plan 2. Carry out the plan 3. Control the direction by comparing results with the plan 4. Control the direction by correcting deviations and/or improving future plans

What is the second step in management by objectives?

Employees are encouraged to develop an action plan.

What is the usual span of time for a tactical goal?

12 months

What are the two types of goals in business?

Long-term Short-term

What is the first step in management by objectives?

Managers and employees jointly set objectives for the employee.

Match the type of objective used in MBO with its focus. Instructions

Performance objective: Express the objective as an outcome or end-result Behavioral objective: Express the objective as the behaviors needed to achieve an outcome Learning objective: Express the objective in terms of acquiring knowledge or competencies

A _____ goal is one that is specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and has target dates.

SMART

Drag and drop the descriptions of each type of plan against the corresponding types of plans.

Standing: For activities that occur repeatedly over time Policy: Outlines general response to a designated problem Procedure: Outlines response to particular circumstances Rule: Designates specific required action Single-use: For activities not likely to be repeated in the future Program: Encompasses a range of projects or activities Project: Has less scope and complexity than a program

In which phase of the planning/control cycle does a company have the opportunity to get a project back on track if it is failing to meet assigned objectives?

Step 4 - Control the direction by taking corrective action

Drag and drop the time frames of different types of planning against the corresponding types of planning.

Strategic planning: 1 year to 5 years Tactical planning: 6 months to 24 months Operational planning: 1 week to 52 weeks

Which of the following are true of long-term goals? (Select all that apply.)

They are also referred to as strategic goals. They focus on achieving the strategies identified in the company's strategic plan. They span one to five years.

Match the criteria for successful goal setting with their correct descriptions.

Top and middle management must be committed: Average gains in productivity are significantly higher when there is buy-in to the goal setting process from upper levels of management Goals must be applied organization-wide: The goal setting program cannot be applied in only some divisions or departments; it must be put in place throughout the whole company Goals must cascade: The strategic goals set at the top must align downward with more specific, short-term goals set at lower organizational levels

Match the level of management with the type of planning for which it is typically responsible.

Top management: Strategic planning Middle management: Tactical planning First-line management: Operational planning

One of the characteristics of SMART goals is that they are stated in specific rather than vague terms. Match each goal below to indicate whether it is vague or specific. Instructions

Vague: As many planes as possible should arrive on time. Specific: Ninety % of planes should arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time.

The vision statement should answer which of these questions?

What do we want to become?

A mission statement addresses which question?

What is our reason for being?

What would occur in the third step of management by objectives?

You and your manager meet to review progress.