Standing Plans Standing  plans  consist  of  policies,  procedures,  and regulations. They exist to guide you in the absence of higher authority. They enable you to make rational, informed,  consistent  decisions  and  plans  without constantly   consulting   higher   levels   of   command. Standing plans exist until canceled or changed by higher authority. POLICIES.  —Policies are an expression of top management’s  attitudes  toward  specific  actions  or events.  You  are  required  to  abide  by  Navy  policies whether or not you agree with them. Examples of policy are equal opportunity programs, promotion policies, fraternization,  and  zero  tolerance. PROCEDURES.   —Procedures  establish  the sequence  and  accuracy  required  for  you  to  accomplish specific actions. You, as a manager, establish procedures to accomplish many routine jobs such as check-in or check-out,   maintenance   actions,   preventive maintenance,   inspections,   and   predeployment preparations. When a procedure has become obsolete or requires modification, change or cancel it! Considerable time and  effort  is  wasted  every  day  through  compliance  with outdated  procedures. When  procedures  cross  departmental  lines,  you must coordinate with the other departments to avoid confusion   and   ruffled   feathers.   Well-thought-out procedures,  however,  will  make  your  life  easier.  They put  routine  matters  on  automatic  pilot  and  allow  you  to concentrate on managing the exception rather than the rule.  Good  procedures  will  do  the  following: Free  the  manager’s  time  from  routine  matters Ease  coordination Save man-hours Increase  efficiency  and  effectiveness Increase your control Simplify  delegation  of  authority Clarify  responsibility REGULATIONS. —Regulations are often used to effect  policies  and  plans.  They  provide  specific  direction concerning  required  or  prohibited  actions  in  given circumstances.  Regulations  frequently  carry  a  penalty for noncompliance. You are already familiar with many regulations such as the following: Hair length and style restrictions Hearing  protection  requirements Smoking restrictions Safety  requirements Uniform   requirements PROGRAMS.  —Programs  set  objectives  and specify the main steps or actions you must take to obtain them.  A  comprehensive  program  will  provide information  concerning  the  following: · Step-by-step  goals · Policies · Rules · Required physical and human resources · Strategies PROJECTS. —An effective way for you to deal with program management is to break the program goals into manageable projects. A project should have a clearly defined goal with a definite beginning and end. This approach  to  major  or  complex  objectives  will  give  you greater  flexibility  in  scheduling,  planning,  and delegation.  It  allows  you,  the  manager,  to  concentrate on managing the various aspects of the program while dividing the detail work among your subordinates. A side benefit of this technique is increased involvement and program support from your subordinates. People are just naturally more interested in something they are personally involved in because it becomes “our project” instead of “their project.” PLANNING STEPS In planning, you should think ahead and select the best course of action to reach an objective. Your plan forms the basis for future management actions. Develop all the steps required to conduct a smooth operation and watch it move toward the objective. Every plan, whether simple or complex, written or mental, contains certain essential elements: an objective, resources, procedures, and controls. Planning becomes easier if you follow a logical  sequence  in  your  thinking.  The  following  steps may be helpful: · Analyze the objective. · Evaluate the situation. · Consider  all  possible  alternatives. 4-7