Planning requires you to predict the future and no one can predict the future unless they have a DeLorean time machine built by Doc Brown sitting in their garage. That’s why Malcolm Forbes said:

Five out of the six quotations in this section deal with different aspects of uncertainty in the planning process while the sixth offers advice on how to improve future planning effectiveness. Thus, Quotation/s:

• 64 suggests that the benefits of planning lie in the knowledge gained during the planning process rather than the actual plan itself, which often proves to be inaccurate in its forecasts and assumptions.
• 65 to 67offer ways to either improve the accuracy of the plan or compensate for its inaccuracies.
• 68 emphasises the need to specify clearly the strategic goals of the organisation and to reject suggestions that can obstruct their achievement or confuse staff about their priorities.
• 69 emphasises the value of undertaking a regular evaluation of the organisation’s strategy.

While reading this section, try to identify some of the strengths and weaknesses of the approaches that you and your organisation take to planning.