The Difference Between Development Planning and Strategic Planning On the surface level, development planning and strategic planning sounds like two terms for the same concept. This isn’t entirely wrong, considering that both of these types of plans focus on realistic, specific, and achievable goals to be reached in a certain amount of time. On a deeper level, however, the two types of planning are different enough that it wouldn’t be entirely correct to use them interchangeably. That being said, what are the differences to look for when deciding between development and strategic plans?
Development Planning Development plans, also known as Individual Development Plans (IDP), focus purely on the individual. Five-year plans that some people make are prime examples of this. The individual decides a goal they want to achieve in a certain amount of time, and from there, determine what they need to do to achieve that goal. For some, that means attending free development classes hosted at schools or libraries to either build upon or learn a new skill that would help them in their future. People who make IDPs are self-aware in what they need to do to accomplish the end goal and will use outside resources to figure out their individual preferences when it comes to workplaces, work style, career choices, and so on. Within a company, employers may choose to sit down with their employees and figure out an IDP to further the skill sets needed for their current job position. This can mean training videos, shadowing senior members in their department, or finding ways to build upon skills while on the job. IDPs are beneficial for both the employer and employee, as it’ll expand upon the knowledge the employee has while helping them become more efficient at their job, thus improving productivity.
Strategic Planning On the other hand, strategic planning is for the business overall. Rather than focusing on an individual, strategic plans are laid out to determine the overarching goals of the organization and how to achieve those goals efficiently. This is different from a business plan, as business plans focus more on specific programs or products within the business. Strategic plans are stepping stones to be taken by the organization’s members to fulfill their values and mission statement. This can be determined by focusing on those mission statements and values or focusing on how to resolve problems within the organization, something that is determined by the leader of the organization more often than not. From there, the leader works with other individuals or strategy teams to figure out the stepping stones needed to reach the end game. Ultimately, development plans are more detail-oriented and individual-focused, while strategic plans look at the big picture of the organization and how to complete that picture as a company. Even with these differences, though, both methods focus on bettering something or someone as a result of it. Still, knowing the difference between the two will help determine the steps needed to achieve whatever the end goal may be.
Must-Need Project Planning Tools for Project Managers Project management is crucial toward making sure your company succeeds. Without a team or a project manager, you risk nothing getting done, and that can lead to the ultimate failure of what could be a fantastic project or program. It takes more than a team and a manager, however, to ensure a project’s success. Organization and planning are the keystones to success, and luckily for project managers everywhere, there are programs out on the Internet-- both free and paid—that are there to help you along the way. Here are three programs that could make a difference in your next big project.
nTask nTask is a project management tool that is free, efficient, and simple. With its simplified interface, nTask has a host of robust software programs that will allow your team to work on projects at various stages of development, as well as task and project management modules to keep your team focused on their work. This program allows you to create, design, assign, organize, and prioritize tasks with your team members within any of the multiple team-specific workspaces available for use. nTask also has the option to send out notifications and reminders to your team to make sure they stay on track. While free, there’s a paid version of nTask available as well, for $2.99 a month per user.
Freedcamp Freedcamp is a cloud-based project management tool that allows you to create tasks and subtasks for your team. Its collaboration channel helps to keep everyone in contact with one another and has team milestones and Gannt Charts for project planning and monitoring. Freedcamp also offers a calendar to schedule tasks and meetings on for your team and includes issue management and time tracking tools to use at your disposal. This program is free to use, but you can opt for a paid plan starting at $3.99 a month per user.
MeisterTask MeisterTask is a project management tool that allows an easier route for team collaboration and communication while making project management more streamlined for its managers. A prominent feature of MeisterTask is its use of Kanban Project Boards and customized dashboards, both of which make organization easier overall. You can organize and prioritize different tasks and subtasks in the program with stars and tags, attach files to the project, and exchange information within the program as well. MeisterTask can be used free like the other two, but if you’d like to use its paid version, it starts at $8.25 a month per user.
What You Can Do With an International Business Major Figuring out what to do after graduating from college can be a terrifying thing to think about. Most likely, the after part of getting a degree never truly crossed a graduate’s mind until they’ve already crossed the graduation stage and tossed their cap into the air. With so many options to choose from, graduates can get overwhelmed and freeze up, no matter whether there’s a market for their field of study or none at all, and for recent graduates with an International Business Major, that could be something they’re experiencing now. Luckily, there are options to consider: traveling, working in a range of different jobs, or returning to school to do further study. What jobs are good to consider applying to after graduation?
International Accountant If economics was your strong suit during school, then aiming to become an international accountant may be your calling. Accountants are needed around the globe in a variety of fields; they’re expected to prepare and examine financial records, be experts on tax laws, know currency exchange rules, and have knowledge of regulatory system rules for various countries. As an international business student, what better place to put your skillset to the test? You may need to aim for higher education before getting into this field, however, so keep that in mind while job searching.
Customs Compliance Specialist Whether you’re working for the government, the private sector, or act as an independent consultant to different companies, you’ll be able to put your degree to work as a Customs Compliance Specialist. These specialists regulate and maintain import and export activities within a regulatory framework in both domestic and international law. They’re expected to keep up-to-date as these laws shift and change so the person they’re working for doesn’t end up breaking regulatory laws, and are most profitable at a national or government level.
International Banking The banking sector is another lucrative area to look for a job in, and luckily there are plenty of banks to go around. Working in a bank will not only get you some experience for future job opportunities, but you also have the chance to practice what you’ve learned when working with foreign bank accounts or, more broadly, foreign banks in general. Upon graduation, you have several choices to choose from: finance, banking, and financial consulting. These three fields often require higher education, however, but it’s a goal to keep in mind if that’s what you’d like to do in life.
Steps to Create Your Own Charity Foundation There’s a vast number of charity and nonprofit organizations out in the world for various causes, but perhaps you’d like to start your own charity organization. It’s one thing to say you’ll be starting one, but there’s much more to it than saying you’re collecting and fundraising to help others. Doing your research is crucial to making sure you do everything right, but it’s also important to make sure that people want to donate to your charity rather than anyone else’s. How do you go about doing so?
Establish Your Identity and Values What draws most people to the charities they donate to is the values behind its establishment. What made you decide to start a charity in the first place? Was there none for the cause you want to support, or did something happen to you or a loved one that you don’t think receives enough attention? By making yourself stand out, people will be drawn to you and what you stand for. This isn’t the place to list numbers, but your vision for the future of your charity organization. Make your mission statement stand out with specific, achievable, and challenging goals to aim for, and be clear with what services you’ll be providing, to whom you’re providing to, and how you plan to do so. Your identity also lies within the name of your organization, so make it a good one—charities named for people tend to be the most successful, so keep that in mind when deciding if it’s applicable.
Get Set Up You won’t get anywhere without setting yourself up for success. Writing down the plan for your organization should be your first step, as it’ll lay out your goals over time for the foreseeable future. A five-year plan is a good starting point for this, and you can list things like strategies, tactics, fundraising strategies, operational strategies, budgets, and so on within it. You’ll also have to make sure you register as a 501(c)(3) with the IRS before you get started. Doing so will list you as a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization. It’s important not to mess this part up, so it’s advisable to have a lawyer or accountant with you to go over the forms. While you’ll likely be pouring some of your own income into your organization, fundraising will be a huge help in securing your feet to the ground and getting yourself started. Reaching out to friends and family is alright, but what’ll be more beneficial is garnering support from other organizations, individuals, and foundations. Be sure to set up your website with your plan outline, inspiration, vision, and more, though keeping financial and business plans off your site is a good idea. Once that’s established, you can reach out to grant-making organizations that are focused within the field your charity is. This will take a lot of time, patience, professionalism, and energy, but don’t be discouraged. Establishing an Advisory Board of people with experience in nonprofit, financial, and fundraising work will help to facilitate this.
Get to Work Once all of this is handled, be frugal and efficient with your money as you get started. Most of all, be patient: Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your charity. Save up funds so you don’t start off in debt, and make the dollar stretch as much as you can. Only expand at the rate your fundraising can support to ensure the longevity of your organization. Hang on to the passion that drove you toward starting a charity in the first place, no matter how rough it gets. Never lose sight of it, and you’ll likely be around for a long while.