Why Plan? – Better Decision-Making

In observance of National Community Planning Month, Rural Resurrection is publishing a series of posts on planning-related topics. Each year National Planning Month is recognized to promote community planning.

A few years ago a post was published on Rural Resurrection during National Community Planning Month entitled “Why Plan?“. This post mentioned a few reasons why it’s important for your community to plan. Through planning we take stock of where we are now and make a step-by-step path to where we want to be in the future. They also help us make better decisions to get us to that future we desire. In short, planning is an important part of better decision-making for your community.

Public Input for Better Results

Regularly community must make tough decisions about natural, man-made, and financial resources. Planning allows for public input into the decision-making process. This makes for a better plan for all and improves the overall consensus on a selected decision.

Through the public input process information is provided to quench the desires of the public. Input is also gathered from sources that may have better information or better ideas. With open ears we can gather enough input to make informed decisions for a better tomorrow.

Overlapping Priorities

Planning can make for better decision-making when it comes to overlapping priorities.

For instance, a community’s downtown can have multiple entities that have a vested interest. Businesses there may have a desire to complete facade improvements, but may not know that the community is applying for a grant to help cover those costs. But that same business may not want to immediately begin the facade improvements if a streetscape project is about to start. Yet, do you want to start a streetscape project if the Public Works Department is planning a road resurfacing project in a couple of years? If you have a separate water utility entity, they may have a plan to replace the water lines under the roads in five years.

All of those entities have different goals in mind, but planning brings those goals under one common goal. The betterment of your downtown. Through planning, better decision-making can be made to orchestrate the best path to complete overlapping priorities without damaging or otherwise hindering each other’s projects.

Managing Expectations

The rumor mill is a never-ending source of confusion and frustration. Social media is filled with those who are ignorant of the facts, but proclaim to have the answers. Some are dreamers and have grandiose expectations for what will be. Others are eternal pessimists on a binge to reduce expectations of others, below that of what is planned.

Through effective planning, sufficient information can be provided to manage these expectations. Facts can be provided and placed in a format that is easily accessible and clearly stated. It always brightens my day when someone starts on a rant on social media only to be corrected by another poster providing a link to one of the plans or other documents that I’ve worked on. Not only is the right information provided to correct expectations…but I realize that someone has actually read my documents!

Decision-Making for an Increased Chance of Success

Planning also provides for an increased chance for success through better decision-making. Getting the invested parties together to plan a path forward increases buy-in and resolves issues before they happen. Through the vehicle of planning the chances of success improve before the project even starts as it puts everyone on the same path to a common goal.