Business Solutions
“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.”
-Alan Lakein, writer
Business Solutions
“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.”
-Alan Lakein, writer
Business Solutions
Strategic Planning Facilitation
Strategic Planning – “The process by which the guiding members of an organization envision its future and develop the necessary procedures and operations to achieve that future . . . Envisioning involves a belief that aspects of the future can be influenced and changed by
what one does now . . . that you can do more than plan for the future; you can help the organization create its future.
. . . although no one can fully predict the future, it is possible to anticipate
significant aspects of the future. . . . the organization takes responsibility for its own future rather than assigning that responsibility to unseen external forces.”
– J. William Pfeiffer, Leonard D. Goodstein, and Timothy Nolan; 1992, Applied Strategic Planning 1993
Strategic planning is a disciplined, on-going and systematic process designed to:
- Ensure a consistent, clear purpose exists throughout the organization
- Establish a guidepost for all management decisions
- Translate the organization’s vision into deliberate and understandable measurable action steps
- Engage and gain commitment to a shared vision from people within the organization by clearly communicating the organization’s direction and priorities
- Align performance management for accountability to outcomes measures
- Communicate in a clear and focused manner to important external stakeholders in order to gain their participation and support
“Those who plan do better than those who do not plan
even though they rarely stick to their plan.”
— Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister
Strategic Planning Process
The strategic planning process includes development of a vision for the organization’s future, determination of essential priorities, strategies and procedures to achieve that vision. The leaders of any organization must form crystal clear articulation of Why an organization exists, What its purpose is, How it achieves that purpose and what core values and guiding principles are embedded within the DNA of the organization.
With the focus on long-term objectives and strategies rather than short-term (quarterly/annual), challenging and measurable goals are established. The planning process identifies how outcomes will be accomplished, and what metrics will be utilized to measure success.
Define or clarify the organization’s:
- Vision
- Mission
- Core Values and Guiding Principles
Pre-planning process
- Environmental Scan; Trend Analysis; Stakeholder Analysis – a review of the broader environment in which the organization operates.
- SWOT Analysis of internal processes and external factors to identify key Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
- Gap analysis – SWOT Matrix
- Identify Strategic Themes, Critical Issues, Critical Success Factors
- Identify Strategic Objectives
- Define outcome measures
Strategy Development
- Strategic Goals Prioritization
- Identify Strategic Initiatives – what methods and tactics will be employed?
- Identify measurements and Key Performance Indicators
- Identify performance targets / milestones
Strategy Implementation
What actions are needed and how will resources be allocated?
- Develop action plans – alignment of core business processes
- Resource allocation; budgeting
- Integration of functional business plans and operational plans
- Contingency planning
- Communication plan
- Integration into performance management process
Annual review
Preserve the Core / Stimulate Progress
“Preserve the core ideology as an anchor point while stimulating change, improvement, innovation and renewal in everything else. Change practice and strategies while holding core values and purpose fixed.” — James Collins
There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.
—Peter Drucker
Strategic Visioning Facilitation
We utilize Graphic Guides and Strategic Visioning as powerful tools in strategic planning facilitation and to lead groups in meetings.
These processes assist a group to focus attention, see the big picture, gain alignment, achieve consensus and enhance group memory. These wall-sized guides and maps significantly enhance participation and engagement and enable post-meeting sharing of information with key stakeholders.
Strategic Visioning is the name of The Grove Visual Planning System (VPS) that focuses on strategic planning. It uses large visual templates, called Graphic Guides®, to create wall-sized, panoramic representations of an organization’s environment, current situation, vision of a desired future state and all the action plans and roadmaps needed to implement the strategic vision.
These are combined with best strategy and facilitation practices to provide a productive process that involves all critical stakeholders.
