What outcomes can I expect from Strategic Planning?

A successful strategic planning process produces a long-range plan to guide decision-making for years to come. That outcome is a requirement. However, a well-designed and executed process should also produce clarity, confidence, and ultimately productivity.

Clarity on where you are today and where you hope to end up.

Confidence because the planning team has thoroughly discussed and debated options and alternatives before setting the strategic direction.

Productivity is the result of clarity and confidence. Greater alignment to the plan and a deeper understanding of common priorities means that action happens.

To ensure your next strategic planning project generates a long-term plan, as well as these three outcomes, focus on the following:

1. Generate a summary of the status quo: this would include your performance historically, this performance against external benchmarks like others in your competitive set, and the status of the key drivers of the current business model. This summary will “ground” your planning team by creating a common view of where you are today at the start of this planning effort.
2. Summarize the concerns and beliefs about future success. Where the summary of the status quo establishes a quantifiable baseline, exploring and documenting the thoughts on strategic issues or questions to be addressed for future success provides a qualitative narrative that will deepen the planning group’s understanding of their planning challenge.
3. Develop a clear vision of future success inclusive of your desired impact or mission statement. Creating a picture of the ultimate destination aligns the team towards a common purpose and inspires confidence. This clarity of purpose becomes a guiding light for decision-making and strategic execution.
4. Agree upon the core strategies that you will use to achieve your vision. They should be closely aligned with your assets and historical core competencies. They become the pillars supporting your journey towards future success.
5. Outline a strategic direction (path defined by milestones) to describe how you plan to advance from today to the vision. These checkpoints allow you to track progress and make adjustments as needed. This strategic direction provides a roadmap, to guide specific plans and actions to ensure you are continually moving towards your ideal goal – your vision.
6. Draft the next steps to begin implementation. This not only facilitates a smoother transition because you have answered the question, “Now what?” but can produce quick wins, unleash momentum for change, and increase confidence within the management team.

Structure your strategic planning process around these work products to deliver clarity, confidence, and productivity during the plan’s implementation.

Want to add even more value to your team’s planning effort? Hire a strategic planning expert to professionally design and execute your planning effort. Then you can participate rather than lead the process!