Strategic planning is more than just thinking ahead and setting goals. It involves stepping back and taking a wide-scale view of your organization. Here are some questions we’ve used in working with our clients during strategic development meetings:

1. What must we accomplish in 3-5 years from now?

2. What approaches and strategies have not worked in the past? What are the pitfalls of those approaches?

3. What products and services will we offer?

4. Is our stream of new products and services adequate?

5. What percentage of our sales in 3 years will come from products and services not even invented yet? (good R&D question)

The answers to these questions must be realistic. A common mistake in strategic planning is focusing on the ideal rather than the real. The more realistic you are, the more likely it is to materialize.

Good strategic planning should not include the tactical. Organizations often confuse strategy with tactics. Strategy says, "This is WHAT we’ll do." Tactics say, "This is HOW we’ll do it." Strategy eyes the big picture, tactics the details and logistics. Obviously, both are essential for success. If you don’t have "nuts-and-bolts" tacticians to carry out the logistical aspects of your strategy, you’ll be dead in the water. Conversely, if you don’t have a strategy, tacticians are useless.

Benefits include:

• Employees will be empowered and enthused by a crystal-clear vision
• Management can plan logistical initiatives with confidence and clarity
• Your team will walk to the beat of the same drum
• Greater unity and synergy among your team members
• Your team will be more deeply committed and more willing to sacrifice
• Confusion and uncertainty will be replaced with well-defined objectives
• Your team members will be more satisfied and less likely to jump-ship for another company
• Improved morale
  

High Impact Mission Statements

We’ll facilitate and help you to develop a clear, relevant mission statement for your organization. Our process involves:

• Assessing the strengths of your organization
• Identifying guiding principles that drive your organization
• Clarifying market focus and future opportunities
• Discovering qualities that differentiate your organization
• Communicating corporate culture
• Future strategic initiatives

Our firm will provide the tools needed to build the framework for strategic planning. We offer strategies and insights from over 20 years of working with Fortune 500 companies and non-profit organizations.