GET STARTED - January 2022

The easiest way to start thinking about planning and management, is to look at what each of the words means in their simplest forms and then put them together.

Planning is the process of deciding in advance what steps you need to take to reach your goal.

Management is looking at what challenges you anticipate and how to utilise resources, opportunities, or team members to achieve your goal.

When we put these two words together, they can involve looking at what your priorities are and the steps you will take to reach the achievable goals that you have set. This will also mean being able to manage your time efficiently between these priorities. Remember that while you may have the best thought out plans possible, you must always be ready and willing to adapt to unforeseen circumstances and any bumps in the road you may face.
What are the benefits of having good planning and management skills? Why should you bother to plan when you can just get everything done as quickly as possible and move onto something else?

1. Help to set the right goals – Find out if a goal is achievable within a timeframe and whether the goal will help you. You can do this by using SMART targets. Are your plans specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely? Using SMART goals will help you to plan and manage your tasks effectively.
2. Reduces uncertainty – Taking the time to plan can help you and others around you feel more confident about the tasks you’re completing. Knowing what tasks are coming up and identifying potential risks, can help you to be agile and quick to respond to changes if needed. With a clear plan, you’re less likely to have to change what you’re doing, meaning you keep costs and time down to a minimum. This can also give you an edge over competitors as you’ll know exactly what you’re doing.
3. Find new ways that work for you – Everyone makes mistakes, it’s how we learn from them which can really make the difference. While setting out a clear plan is a good way to avoid many mistakes, if a plan fails, look at it as a fantastic learning experience. Look at what went well and what could have been done differently in order for your plan to succeed. Most importantly, try to stay positive if a plan doesn’t turn out the way you had hoped, there will always be other opportunities. 

Planning and management are a great skills to master and can be used and developed in your everyday routine. Think of a time when you have had a goal to spend a day out with your friends. You plan to drive but then your car won’t start so you reduce uncertainty of not being able to get there by looking at alternative travel. (reduce uncertainty) You have adapted your plans to manage the risk but taking the bus takes longer so you don’t reach your destination on time. You could then find new ways that work for you by calling your friend (team) to buy tickets to the cinema.
The skills you learn by planning and managing can help you in whatever you’re doing. They help you to remain focused on the task at hand and give you different options when the original plan doesn’t quite work out. It is important to remember that while planning is about setting tasks and reaching goals, you will learn a lot from any failures to make future plans even better.

Planning and management could be just some of the skills that you could gain and work on by volunteering.  Take a look at the opportunities below and put your plans into action with these amazing volunteering opportunities.

VODA are a registered charity that provide support, advice, training and information to volunteers and voluntary and community organisations. You can gain lots of helpful information from VODA about the types of volunteering opportunities that are out there and how best to apply for these roles. Getting extra advice and information can help you to plan for a new role. For example, you might want to tailor your CV to a position, based on information you receive and plan to get it checked by someone before you apply.

Volunteer Centre Newcastle provide information, advice and support to people who would like to volunteer or find out more information about volunteering. Volunteer Centre Newcastle is another great resource you can utilise to help with your plan to apply for roles.

Changing Lives work with people who are in crisis or who need support to overcome serious challenges that can limit their opportunities. If you’re planning on working with people that need help to change their lives for the better then this is good place to start looking. They have a variety of different roles, so it’s worth making sure you’ll be getting the right sort of experience from the role you choose.

XL Health – Driving Volunteer (Logistics Support) – Gateshead (travelling to other areas of the North East

One of our Amazing partners, XL Health are currently looking for a driving volunteer. You will play a vital role by delivering and transferring items to teams and services across multiple sites. A fully insured vehicle is provided for the role and it is an excellent chance to gain skills and experience in time management and planning daily tasks to be completed.

What you’ll need

You must be 21 years or older, have a fully clean driving license and must have been driving for more than 24 months.

Be a professional and friendly presence when interacting with teams and services. To find out more about the role and apply if you’re interested, visit here

The People’s Kitchen - Administration/office support – Newcastle – 4 hours per week

The People’s Kitchen are looking for someone to support in essential clerical and administrative support. The roles are varied so you could be working with invoices, attending meetings to take minutes, or ordering and maintaining stationery and equipment. This role will involve managing the tasks you are given efficiently and completing them in a timely manner, giving you the chance to practice your planning and management skills.

What you’ll need

Ability to use a variety of software packages, such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, Access etc.

Visit here for more information on the role.