The success or failure of the planning process hinges on first answering crucial questions, including how committed the organization is to the planning process, who should be involved, and what information is needed for successful planning. The deliberate, logical planning process begins with having an objective, defining the problem, and gathering relevant facts associated with attaining the objective. The planning process then moves to developing alternative approaches, evaluating the effects in terms of the desired objective, and making the decision to act in a specific manner. The final phase of the planning process involves testing the plan to ensure that all components work together. Administrators should include a critique at the end of the testing exercise, regardless of its scale, to identify problem areas as well as areas that functioned well. Administrators should include supervisors and managers of support services in the planning process. Notes, photograph of author, and list of 6 suggested readings