STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS

Our strategic planning process is simple — we help you find the answers to these three questions.

• Where are you now?
• Where do you want to be?
• How will you get there? 

WHERE ARE YOU NOW?

Strategic planning helps you look back, look inside, and look forward. Reviewing you your accomplishments and failures, your assets and debits, your dreams and realities is healthy and necessary for growth. Our strategic planning process begins by examining your current situation -inside and out – and establish a starting point of your plan.  We guide you through the following evaluation and establish the key factors impacting your future.

Background and Purpose

The Background and Purpose section of your plan defines the organization and describes its purpose. This usually includes the proper title or the name of the organization, the date (year) established, and the current purpose of the organization (which could be different from the original purpose when established). A brief history may be included to help the reader understand the evolution of the organization to its current status.

Competitive Analysis:

How competitive is your product and service? How competitive is your organization? Where are you stronger - weaker than your competitors? What distinguishes the competition from you? What distinguishes you from your competition?

Trend Analysis

What changes are taking place in your industry?  In your customer's industry?  In other areas impacting your organization? Our PEST model to develop trends begins with these questions.

• POLITICAL:  How will changes in the political environment impact your organization?
• ECONOMIC:  What economic factors impact the future of your organization?
• SOCIAL / CULTURAL:  How will the changing demographics (i.e. aging population) impact your organization?
• TECHNOLOGICAL:  How do you exploit new technology to gain a competitive edge?

Structure and Function:

The operational structure and function within the organization must support the strategies.  An honest examination of these processes is critical to identifying strengths and weaknesses.  We begin with these basic questions.

• Are you easy to do business with?
• How can you eliminate the hassle?

Organizational Review

• Does the current structure of your organization support your vision?
• Are you adequately staffed?
• Is your staff competent and cross-trained?
• Is your succession plan adequate?

SWOT Analysis:

The SWOT analysis is a powerful technique for understanding your Strengths and Weaknesses, and examining your Opportunities and Threats.  This analysis helps uncover opportunities the organization is positioned to exploit and identify weaknesses and threats to overcome.

Our SWOT analysis process begins with the following questions.

• What do you do best?
• What could you improve?
• How do you capitalize on your strengths?
• What would bring you to your knees in three to six months.
 

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WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BE?

Using our interactive planning model you move yourself into the future and invent it.  You create and control your destiny. 

 
"I dream my painting, and then I paint my dream"

— Vincent Van Gogh

At this, the most critical point in your strategic planning process, you define your core values and your vision.

Core Values

Values are the standards by which you do business.  They represent your philosophy for achieving success and they serve as important guidelines for every day decisions and behaviors.  Your vision provides direction — your values determine the rightness of the direction for decision making.

Vision

Your vision statement paints a mental picture of your "ideal" organization.  Your vision statement articulates your desired future and establishes the foundation for your day-to-day decisions.  Your vision statement answers the question, "What do you want to become?"

 

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HOW WILL YOU GET THERE?

This is your action plan.  What steps are needed to move your organization from where you are now to where you want to be?

Mission

The mission is a statement of what the organization will achieve in a specific (2-3 years) period of time.  Your mission specifies the boundaries of the service, the customer populations, what must be accomplished, and how these accomplishments will be measured.  It states how you will operate in order to achieve your vision.

Basic Assumptions

As you develop your plan, you must assume certain facts and conditions in order to establish a basis for selecting the appropriate strategies and initiatives.  Your basic assumptions documents these ideas, theories, trends, and expected activities or results that you assume will occur as you implement your plan.

Critical Goal Categories

Critical goal categories are those critical few things that must happen - that must be in place to achieve your mission.  These are broad categories that will serve as the foundation for actualizing your mission.  Your goals should build on your strengths and overcome your weaknesses.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Establish S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistically high, Target dates) for each Critical Goal Category.