Planning means looking ahead and chalking out future courses of action to be followed. It is a preparatory step. It is a systematic activity which determines when, how and who is going to perform a specific job. Planning is a detailed programme regarding future courses of action.

Limitations of Planning: 

Rigidity

• Planning has a tendency to make administration inflexible. 

• Planning implies prior determination of policies, procedures and programmes and strict adherence to them in all circumstances. 

• There is no scope for individual freedom. 

• The development of employees is highly doubted because of which management might have faced a lot of difficulties in future. 

• Planning therefore introduces inelasticity’ and discourages individual initiative and experimentation.

Misdirected Planning 

• Planning may be used to serve individual interests rather than the interest of the enterprise. 

• Attempts can be made to influence the setting of objectives, formulation of plans and programmes to suit one’s own requirement rather than that of the whole organization. 

• The machinery of planning can never be freed of bias. Every planner has his own likes, dislikes, preferences, attitudes and interests which is reflected in planning.

Time-consuming 

• Planning is a time-consuming process because it involves the collection of information, it’s analysis and interpretation thereof. This entire process takes a lot of time specially where there are a number of alternatives available. 

• Therefore planning is not suitable during emergency or crisis when quick decisions are required.