The first step of the planning cycle is to complete a preplanning Briefing. If your existing plan is incomplete or this is your first time working as a planning team, a briefing is critical.
Usually the team is assembled for an overview. The more people you have involved at this point the better because all managers and supervisors will be participating in the actual planning and execution at some point. Several things happen at the preplanning briefing. One is to standardize the terms for the purpose of establishing a common language.
Often terms are confused and people are working with different operational meanings. Standardization of language is a must. Use the preplanning session to address concerns and fears. Because planning has such a bad reputation, you can use this session to help smooth the way for further work. Clear definitions of what is to be accomplished should be communicated at the briefing. Make sure participants understand that your planning model is about to take a dramatic turn for the better. Business-as-usual cannot be allowed.
Another item addressed in the preplanning briefing is the homework assignment that must be completed in the preparation period. Generally two to four weeks are allowed between the preplanning briefing and the actual business planning session. It is wise to use this time for preparation. Too many planning teams fail because they come unprepared or ill-equipped with data to make decisions. The business planning conference is not the time to be gathering data. At that point it is too late. Participants should not be allowed to show up empty-handed or to just “wing it,” especially since the whole company must live with the results.