The Functions of Management Planning "Leaders are proactive. They make change happen rather than react to change." (Lateiner 2004) The future requires that all levels of management have the skills and ability to combine many unexpected and diverse events into their planning. “Planning is the conscious and systematic process of making decisions about the goals and activities that an individual, group, work unit, or organization will pursue in the future.” (Bateman, T. 2004) For an organization to achieve its goal, it must plan for change and use effective planning that helps identify opportunities, avoid problems, set direction for other management functions, and improve decision making. .There are several stages in the process of a basic planning structure. These are situational analysis, alternatives, evaluation, selection, implementation, monitoring and control. Situational analysis is the internal and external review of past events, current conditions, and attempts to predict future trends. Which is also known to be a SWOT analysis. Followed by an alternative in which management selects alternative objectives and actions to achieve the objectives. Evaluation is the process in which the decision maker evaluates the advantages, disadvantages and potential effects of each alternative. Next in the selection, the planner must decide which objectives and plans are appropriate and feasible, subsequently managers implement the plans designed to achieve the organizational goal. Finally, monitoring and control, an essential part of the process, since planning is a continuous and repetitive process, managers must monitor progress and then control, in case an action is initiated incorrectly or when situations change. My Organization Tax season is the busiest time of the year for our company, so during the last quarter of the year we begin to prepare. Tax season is an essential part of the company's income. During these three and a half months, we have more sales revenue than any other quarter of the year. Analysis Let's start by analyzing the previous year's process and what changes have occurred for the next tax season. We prepare by ordering updates for the tax program, Intuits ProSeries, research any new tax laws that are developing for the new tax year, and purchase necessary supplies such as paper, folders, and computer ink cartridges. completed, our company must take into consideration several changes that have occurred over the past year. In the upcoming 2005 tax season, it is mandatory to inform our customers that the elevator is broken, which means that our elderly and wheelchair users who are unable to navigate three flights of stairs, will have to meet us on the first floor.