Facilitating Strategic Planning
For the past year I have been involved with several different clients helping them with their strategic planning. In some cases this has been for the whole organization and with other clients it has been with just a department or unit of the organization.
I try to use a similar process regardless as it provides a consistent framework to work with. Obviously each client is different and the results vary with what we are trying to achieve. The great thing about this framework I use is that it is scalable. In other words, it can be used for a large organization, a small department, or even an individual participating in executive coaching. The number one question we continually ask clients is to think about what is important. What's important? This question leads to the who, what, when, where, and how we will know. My colleague, Mike Jay says it this way; "How will Who lead Whom to do What, When, Why, and Where?"
The framework typically starts with a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) and surfacing assumptions. From this we get a good sense of where we are (present state)and then we start looking at where we want to go (future state). The future state is the vision for the organization. The vision is a descriptive picture of where the organization is headed.
The time frame for a vision, as with strategic planning, is shorter these days. With change happening so rapidly these days, it makes little sense to do planning beyond 18 months to two years. This is true for visioning as well. This also relates to my belief in the perspective of strategic planning being a dynamic versus a static process. In the planning process, I recommend that plans be revisited quarterly or semi-annually at the very least.
The next couple of steps help the organization understand its decision making process and how it will operate or behave. We take a look at organizational values and the other ways with which the organization makes decisions. Sometimes these are called unwritten rules or guiding principles.
Once we have identified all of these things about the organization, we can focus on what's important--the strategic objectives and plan the specific steps for achieving them. Organizations may go about this part of the process differently. Essentially this is where the rubber meets the road or where the real work takes place. It's important to focus on strategic objectives that really matter and to establish effective measures for each objective. The final step in this phase is to make sure adequate monitoring and follow-up is built into the system or plan.
The final phase in this process has clients look at a creating a purpose or mission statement that encompasses all we have learned and are implementing. Ideally, this statement includes the key values and overall objectives of the organization into 25 words or less. It is a powerful statement for all stakeholders to understand what this organization is all about.
If you would like to hear more about this process or have questions, please feel free to contact me.
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