The Complete Guide to Writing a Strategic Plan

By Joe Weller | April 12, 2019 (updated January 31, 2024)

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Writing a strategic plan can be daunting, as the process includes many steps. In this article, you’ll learn the basics of writing a strategic plan, what to include, common challenges, and more.

Included on this page, you'll find details on what to include in a strategic plan , the importance of an executive summary , how to write a mission statement , how to write a vision statement , and more.

The Basics of Writing a Strategic Plan

The strategic planning process takes time, but the payoff is huge. If done correctly, your strategic plan will engage and align stakeholders around your company’s priorities.

Strategic planning, also called strategy development or analysis and assessment , requires attention to detail and should be performed by someone who can follow through on next steps and regular updates. Strategic plans are not static documents — they change as new circumstances arise, both internally and externally.

Before beginning the strategic planning process, it’s important to make sure you have buy-in from management, a board of directors, or other leaders. Without it, the process cannot succeed.

Next, gather your planning team. The group should include people from various departments at different levels, and the planning process should be an open, free discussion within the group. It’s important for leaders to get input from the group as a whole, but they don’t necessarily need approval from everyone — that will slow down the process.

The plan author is responsible for writing and putting the final plan together and should work with a smaller group of writers to establish and standardize the tone and style of the final document or presentation.

Sometimes, it’s a good idea to hire an external party to help facilitate the strategic planning process.

John Bryson

“It often can be helpful to have a really good facilitator to organize and pursue strategic conversations,” says Professor John M. Bryson, McKnight Presidential Professor of Planning and Public Affairs at the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota and author of Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A Guide to Strengthening and Sustaining Organizational Achievement .

Byson says the facilitator can be in-house or external, but they need experience. “You need to make sure someone is good, so there needs to be a vetting process,” he says.

One way to gauge a facilitator’s experience is by asking how they conduct conversations. “It’s important for facilitators to lead by asking questions,” Bryson says.

Bryson says that strong facilitators often ask the following questions:

What is the situation we find ourselves in?

What do we do?

How do we do it?

How do we link our purposes to our capabilities?

The facilitators also need to be able to handle conflict and diffuse situations by separating idea generation from judgement. “Conflict is part of strategic planning,” Bryson admits. “[Facilitators] need to hold the conversations open long enough to get enough ideas out there to be able to make wise choices.”

These outside helpers are sometimes more effective than internal facilitators since they are not emotionally invested in the outcome of the process. Thus, they can concentrate on the process and ask difficult questions.

A strategic plan is a dynamic document or presentation that details your company’s present situation, outlines your future plans, and shows you how the company can get there. You can take many approaches to the process and consider differing ideas about what needs to go into it, but some general concepts stand.

“Strategic planning is a prompt or a facilitator for fostering strategic thinking, acting, and learning,” says Bryson. He explains that he often begins planning projects with three questions:

What do you want to do?

How are we going to do it?

What would happen if you did what you want to do?

The answers to these questions make up the meat of the planning document.

A strategic plan is only effective when the writing and thinking is clear, since the intent is to help an organization keep to its mission through programs and capacity, while also building stakeholder engagement.

Question 1: Where Are We Now?

The answer (or answers) to the first question — where are we now? — addresses the foundation of your organization, and it can serve as an outline for the following sections of your strategic plan:

Mission statement

Core values and guiding principles

Identification of competing organizations

Industry analysis (this can include a SWOT or PEST analysis)

Question 2: Where Are We Going?

The answers to this question help you identify your goals for the future of the business and assess whether your current trajectory is the future you want. These aspects of the plan outline a strategy for achieving success and can include the following:

Vision statement about what the company will look like in the future

What is happening (both internally and externally) and what needs to change

The factors necessary for success

Question 3: How Do We Get There?

The answers to this question help you outline the many routes you can take to achieve your vision and match your strengths with opportunities in the market. A Gantt chart can help you map out and keep track of these initiatives.

You should include the following sections:

Specific and measurable goals

An execution plan that identifies who manages and monitors the plan

An evaluation plan that shows how you plan to measure the successes and setbacks that come with implementation

What to Include in a Strategic Plan

Strategic planning terminology is not standardized throughout the industry, and this can lead to confusion. Instead, strategic planning experts use many names for the different sections of a strategic plan.

Denise McNerney

“The terms are all over the map. It’s really the concept of what the intention of the terms are [that is important],” says Denise McNerney, President and CEO of iBossWell, Inc. , and incoming president of the Association for Strategic Planning (ASP). She recommends coming up with a kind of glossary that defines the terms for your team. “One of the most important elements when you’re starting the strategic planning process is to get some clarity on the nomenclature. It’s just what works for your organization. Every organization is slightly different.”

No matter what terms you use, the general idea of a strategic plan is the same. “It’s like drawing a map for your company. One of the first steps is committing to a process, then determining how you’re going to do it,” McNerney explains.

She uses a basic diagram that she calls the strategic plan architecture . The areas above the red dotted line are the strategic parts of the plan. Below the red dotted line are the implementation pieces.

Strategic Plan Architecture

While the specific terminology varies, basic sections of a strategic plan include the following in roughly this order:

Executive summary

Elevator pitch or company description

Vision statement

Industry analysis

Marketing plan

Operations plan

Financial projections

Evaluation methods

Signature page

Some plans will contain all the above sections, but others will not — what you include depends on your organization’s structure and culture.

“I want to keep it simple, so organizations can be successful in achieving [the strategic plan],” McNerney explains. “Your plan has to be aligned with your culture and your culture needs to be aligned with your plan if you’re going to be successful in implementing it.”

The following checklist will help you keep track of what you have done and what you still need to do.

Writing A Strategic Plan Section

‌ Download Strategic Plan Sections Checklist

How to Write a Strategic Plan

Once you’ve assembled your team and defined your terms, it’s time to formalize your ideas by writing the strategic plan. The plan may be in the form of a document, a presentation, or another format.

You can use many models and formats to create your strategic plan (read more about them in this article ). However, you will likely need to include some basic sections, regardless of the particular method you choose (even if the order and way you present them vary). In many cases, the sections of a strategic plan build on each other, so you may have to write them in order.

One tip: Try to avoid jargon and generic terms; for example, words like maximize and succeed lose their punch. Additionally, remember that there are many terms for the same object in strategic planning.

The following sections walk you through how to write common sections of a strategic plan.

How to Write an Executive Summary

The key to writing a strong executive summary is being clear and concise. Don’t feel pressured to put anything and everything into this section — executive summaries should only be about one to two pages long and include the main points of the strategic plan.

The idea is to pique the reader’s interest and get them to read the rest of the plan. Because it functions as a review of the entire document, write the executive summary after you complete the rest of your strategic plan.

Jim Stockmal

“If you have a plan that’s really lengthy, you should have a summary,” says Jim Stockmal, President of the Association for Strategic Planning (ASP). He always writes summaries last, after he has all the data and information he needs for the plan. He says it is easier to cut than to create something.

For more information about writing an effective executive summary, a checklist, and free templates, read this article .

If you want a one-page executive summary, this template can help you decide what information to include.

One-page Executive Summary Template

Download One-Page Executive Summary Template

Excel | Word | PDF

How to Write a Company Description

Also called an elevator pitch , the company description is a brief outline of your organization and what it does. It should be short enough that it can be read or heard during the average elevator ride.

The company description should include the history of your company, the major products and services you provide, and any highlights and accomplishments, and it should accomplish the following:

Define what you are as a company.

Describe what the company does.

Identify your ideal client and customer.

Highlight what makes your company unique.

While this may seem basic, the company description changes as your company grows and changes. For example, your ideal customer five years ago might not be the same as the current standard or the one you want in five years.

Share the company description with everyone in your organization. If employees cannot accurately articulate what you do to others, you might miss out on opportunities.

How to Write a Mission Statement

The mission statement explains what your business is trying to achieve. In addition to guiding your entire company, it also helps your employees make decisions that move them toward the company’s overall mission and goals.

“Ideally, [the mission statement is] something that describes what you’re about at the highest level,” McNerney says. “It’s the reason you exist or what you do.”

Strong mission statements can help differentiate your company from your competitors and keep you on track toward your goals. It can also function as a type of tagline for your organization.

Mission statements should do the following:

Define your company’s purpose. Say what you do, who you do it for, and why it is valuable.

Use specific and easy-to-understand language.

Be inspirational while remaining realistic.

Be short and succinct.

This is your chance to define the way your company will make decisions based on goals, culture, and ethics. Mission statements should not be vague or generic, and they should set your business apart from others. If your mission statement could define many companies in your line of work, it is not a good mission statement.

Mission statements don’t have to be only outward-facing for customers or partners. In fact, it is also possible to include what your company does for its employees in your mission statement.

Unlike other parts of your strategic plan that are designed to be reviewed and edited periodically, your company’s mission statement should live as is for a while.

That said, make the effort to edit and refine your mission statement. Take out jargon like world class, best possible, state of the art, maximize, succeed , and so on, and cut vague or unspecific phrasing. Then let your strategic planning committee review it.

How to Write a Vision Statement

Every action your company does contributes to its vision. The vision statement explains what your company wants to achieve in the long term and can help inspire and align your team.

“The vision is the highest-ordered statement of the desired future or state of what you want your business to achieve,” McNerney explains.

A clear vision statement can help all stakeholders understand the meaning and purpose of your company. It should encourage and inspire employees while setting your company’s direction. It also helps you rule out elements that might not align with your vision.

Vision statements should be short (a few sentences). They should also be memorable, specific, and ambitious. But there is a fine line between being ambitious and creating a fantasy. The vision should be clearly attainable if you follow the goals and objectives you outline later in your strategic planning plan.

Because you need to know your company’s goals and objectives to create an accurate vision statement, you might need to wait until you have more information about the company’s direction to write your vision statement.

Below are questions to ask your team as you craft your vision statement:

What impact do we want to have on our community and industry?

How will we interact with others as a company?

What is the culture of the business?

Avoid broad statements that could apply to any company or industry. For example, phrases like “delivering a wonderful experience” could apply to many industries. Write in the present tense, avoid jargon, and be clear and concise.

Vision statements should accomplish the following:

Be inspiring.

Focus on success.

Look at and project about five to 10 years ahead.

Stay in line with the goals and values of your organization.

Once you write your vision statement, communicate it to everyone in your company. Your team should be able to easily understand and repeat the company’s vision statement. Remember, the statements can change as the environment in and around your company changes.

The Difference Between Mission and Vision Statements

Mission and vision statements are both important, but they serve very different purposes.

Mission statements show why a business exists, while vision statements are meant to inspire and provide direction. Mission statements are about the present, and vision statements are about the future. The mission provides items to act upon, and the vision offers goals to aspire to.

For example, if a vision statement is “No child goes to bed hungry,” the accompanying mission would be to provide food banks within the city limits.

While many organizations have both mission and vision statements, it’s not imperative. “Not everyone has a vision statement,” McNerney says. “Some organizations just have one.”

If you choose to have only one statement, McNerney offers some advice: “Any statement you have, if you have just one, needs to include what [you do], how [you do it], why [you do it], and who you do it for.”

During the planning process, these key statements might change. “Early on in the process, you need to talk about what you are doing and why and how you are doing it. Sometimes you think you know where you want to go, but you’re not really sure,” McNerney says. “You need to have flexibility both on the plan content and in the process.”

How to Write Your Company’s Core Values

Company core values , sometimes called organizational values , help you understand what drives the company to do what it does. In this section, you’ll learn a lot about your company and the people who work with you. It should be relatively easy to write.

“The values are the core of how you operate [and] how you treat your people, both internally and externally. Values describe the behaviors you really want to advance,” McNerney says.

There are both internal and external values looking at your employees and coworkers, as well as customers and outside stakeholders. Pinpointing values will help you figure out the traits of the people you want to hire and promote, as well as the qualities you’re looking for in your customers.

Your values should align with your vision statement and highlight your strengths while mitigating weaknesses. McNerney says many organizations do not really consider or are not honest about their company’s values when working on strategic plans, which can lead to failure.

“Your strategies have to align with your values and vice versa,” she explains.

Many companies’ values sound like meaningless jargon, so take the time to figure out what matters to your company and push beyond generic language.

How to Write about Your Industry

When planning ahead for your business, it’s important to look around. How are matters inside your company? What are your competitors doing? Who are your target customers?

“[If you don’t do a thorough industry analysis], you’re doing your planning with your head in the sand. If you’re not looking at the world around you, you’re missing a whole dimension about what should inform your decision making,” McNerney advises.

Writing about your industry helps you identify new opportunities for growth and shows you how you need to change in order to take advantage of those opportunities. Identify your key competitors, and define what you see as their strengths and weaknesses. Performing this analysis will help you figure out what you do best and how you compare to your competition. Once you know what you do well, you can exploit your strengths to your advantage.

In this section, also include your SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. You can choose from many templates to help you write this section.

Next, identify your target customers. Think about what they want and need, as well as how you can provide it. Do your competitors attract your target customers, or do you have a niche that sets you apart?

The industry analysis carries a price, but also provides many benefits. “It takes some time and money to do [a thorough industry analysis], but the lack of that understanding says a lot about the future of your organization. If you don’t know what is going on around you, how can you stay competitive?” explains McNerney.

How to Write Strategic Plan Goals and Objectives

This section is the bulk of your strategic plan. Many people confuse goals and objectives, thinking the terms are interchangeable, but many argue that the two are distinct. You can think of them this way:

Goals : Goals are broad statements about what you want to achieve as a company, and they’re usually qualitative. They function as a description of where you want to go, and they can address both the short and long term.

Objectives : Objectives support goals, and they’re usually quantitative and measurable. They describe how you will measure the progress needed to arrive at the destination you outlined in the goal. More than one objective can support one goal.

For example, if your goal is to achieve success as a strategic planner, your objective would be to write all sections of the strategic plan in one month.

iBossWell, Inc.’s McNerney reiterates that there are not hard and fast definitions for the terms goals and objectives , as well as many other strategic planning concepts. “I wouldn’t attempt to put a definition to the terms. You hear the terms goals and objectives a lot, but they mean different things to different people. What some people call a goal , others call an objective . What some people call an objective , others would call a KPI. ” They key, she explains, is to decide what the terms mean in your organization, explain the definitions to key stakeholders, and stick to those definitions.

How to Write Goals

Goals form the basis of your strategic plan. They set out your priorities and initiatives, and therefore are critical elements and define what your plan will accomplish. Some planning specialists use the term strategic objectives or strategic priorities when referring to goals, but for clarity, this article will use the term goals.

“[Goals] are the higher level that contain several statements about what your priorities are,” McNerney explains. They are often near the top of your plan’s hierarchy.

Each goal should reflect something you uncovered during the analysis phase of your strategic planning process. Goals should be precise and concise statements, not long narratives. For example, your goals might be the following:

Eliminate case backlog.

Lower production costs.

Increase total revenue.

Each goal should have a stated outcome and a deadline. Think of goal writing as a formula: Action + detail of the action + a measurable metric + a deadline = goal. For example, your goal might be: Increase total revenue by 5 percent in three product areas by the third quarter of 2020.

Another way to look at it: Verb (action) + adjective (description) = noun (result). An example goal: Increase website fundraising.

Your goals should strike a balance between being aspirational and tangible. You want to stretch your limits, but not make them too difficult to reach. Your entire organization and stakeholders should be able to remember and understand your goals.

Think about goals with varying lengths. Some should go out five to 10 years, others will be shorter — some significantly so. Some goals might even be quarterly, monthly, or weekly. But be careful to not create too many goals. Focus on the ones that allow you to zero in on what is critical for your company’s success. Remember, several objectives and action steps will likely come from each goal.

How to Write Objectives

Objectives are the turn-by-turn directions of how to achieve your goals. They are set in statement and purpose with no ambiguity about whether you achieve them or not.

Your goals are where you want to go. Next, you have to determine how to get there, via a few different objectives that support each goal. Note that objectives can cover several areas.

“You need implementation elements of the plan to be successful,” McNerney says, adding that some people refer to objectives as tactics , actions , and many other terms.

Objectives often begin with the words increase or decrease because they are quantifiable and measurable. You will know when you achieve an objective. They are action items, often with start and end dates.

Use the goal example from earlier: Increase total revenue by 5 percent in three product areas by the third quarter of 2020. In this example, your objectives could be:

Approach three new possible clients each month.

Promote the three key product areas on the website and in email newsletters.

Think of the acronym SMART when writing objectives: Make them specific, measurable, achievable, realistic/relevant, and time-bound.

Breaking down the process further, some strategic planners use the terms strategies and tactics to label ways to achieve objectives. Using these terms, strategies describe an approach or method you will use to achieve an objective. A tactic is a specific activity or project that achieves the strategy, which, in turn, helps achieve the objective.

How to Write about Capacity, Operations Plans, Marketing Plans, and Financial Plans

After you come up with your goals and objectives, you need to figure out who will do what, how you will market what they do, and how you will pay for what you need to do.

“If you choose to shortchange the process [and not talk about capacity and finances], you need to know what the consequences will be,” explains McNerney. “If you do not consider the additional costs or revenues your plan is going to drive, you may be creating a plan you cannot implement.”

To achieve all the goals outlined in your strategic plan, you need the right people in place. Include a section in your strategic plan where you talk about the capacity of your organization. Do you have the team members to accomplish the objectives you have outlined in order to reach your goals? If not, you may need to hire personnel.

The operations plan maps out your initiatives and shows you who is going to do what, when, and how. This helps transform your goals and objectives into a reality. A summary of it should go into your strategic plan. If you need assistance writing a comprehensive implementation plan for your organization, this article can guide you through the process.

A marketing plan describes how you attract prospects and convert them into customers. You don’t need to include the entire marketing plan in your strategic plan, but you might want to include a summary. For more information about writing marketing plans, this article can help.

Then there are finances. We would all like to accomplish every goal, but sometimes we do not have enough money to do so. A financial plan can help you set your priorities. Check out these templates to help you get started with a financial plan.

How to Write Performance Indicators

In order to know if you are reaching the goals you outline in your strategic plan, you need performance indicators. These indicators will show you what success looks like and ensure accountability. Sadly, strategic plans have a tendency to fail when nobody periodically assesses progress.

Key performance indicators (KPIs) can show you how your business is progressing. KPIs can be both financial and nonfinancial measures that help you chart your progress and take corrective measures if actions are not unfolding as they should. Other terms similar to KPIs include performance measures and performance indicators .

Performance indicators are not always financial, but they must be quantifiable. For example, tracking visitors to a website, customers completing a contact form, or the number of proposals that close with deals are all performance indicators that keep you on track toward achieving your goals.

When writing your performance indicators, pay attention to the following:

Define how often you need to report results.

Every KPI must have some sort of measure.

List a measure and a time period.

Note the data source where you will get your information to measure and track.

ASP’s Stockmal has some questions for you to ask yourself about picking performance indicators.

Are you in control of the performance measure?

Does the performance measure support the strategic outcomes?

Is it feasible?

Is data available?

Who is collecting that data, and how will they do it?

Is the data timely?

Is it cost-effective to collect that data?

ls the goal quantifiable, and can you measure it over time?

Are your targets realistic and time-bound?

Stockmal also says performance indicators cannot focus on only one thing at the detriment of another. “Don’t lose what makes you good,” he says. He adds that focusing on one KPI can hurt other areas of a company’s performance, so reaching a goal can be short-sided.

Some performance indicators can go into your strategic plan, but you might want to set other goals for your organization. A KPI dashboard can help you set up and track your performance and for more information about setting up a KPI dashboard, this article can help.

Communicating Your Strategic Plan

While writing your strategic plan, you should think about how to share it. A plan is no good if it sits on a shelf and nobody reads it.

Stefan Hofmeyer

“After the meetings are over, you have to turn your strategy into action,” says Stefan Hofmeyer, an experienced strategist and co-founder of Global PMI Partners . “Get in front of employees and present the plan [to get everyone involved].” Hofmeyer explains his research has shown that people stay with companies not always because of money, but often because they buy into the organization’s vision and want to play a part in helping it get where it wants to go. “These are the people you want to keep because they are invested,” he says.

Decide who should get a physical copy of the entire plan. This could include management, the board of directors, owners, and more. Do your best to keep it from your competitors. If you distribute it outside of your company, you might want to attach a confidentiality waiver.

You can communicate your plan to stakeholders in the following ways:

Hold a meeting to present the plan in person.

Highlight the plan in a company newsletter.

Include the plan in new employee onboarding.

Post the plan on the employee intranet, along with key highlights and a way to track progress.

If you hold a meeting, make sure you and other key planners are prepared to handle the feedback and discussion that will arise. You should be able to defend your plan and reinforce its key areas. The goal of the plan’s distribution is to make sure everyone understands their role in making the plan successful.

Remind people of your company’s mission, vision, and values to reinforce their importance. You can use posters or other visual methods to post around the office. The more that people feel they play an important part in the organization’s success, they more successful you will be in reaching your goals of your strategic plan.

Challenges in Writing a Strategic Plan

As mentioned, strategic planning is a process and involves a team. As with any team activity, there will be challenges.

Sometimes the consensus can take priority over what is clear. Peer pressure can be a strong force, especially if a boss or other manager is the one making suggestions and people feel pressured to conform. Some people might feel reluctant to give any input because they do not think it matters to the person who ultimately decides what goes into the plan.

Team troubles can also occur when one or more members does not think the plan is important or does not buy into the process. Team leaders need to take care of these troubles before they get out of hand.

Pay attention to your company culture and the readiness you have as a group, and adapt the planning process to fit accordingly. You need to find the balance between the process and the final product.

The planning process takes time. Many organizations do not give themselves enough time to plan properly, and once you finish planning, writing the document or presentation also takes time, as does implementation. Don’t plan so much that you ignore how you are going to put the plan into action. One symptom of this is not aligning the plan to fit the capacity or finances of the company.

Stockmal explains that many organizations often focus too much on the future and reaching their goals that they forget what made them a strong company in the first place. Business architecture is important, which Stockmal says is “building the capabilities the organization needs to fulfill its strategy.” He adds that nothing happens if there is no budget workers to do the work necessary to drive change.

Be careful with the information you gather. Do not take shortcuts in the research phase — that will lead to bad information coming out further in the process. Also, do not ignore negative information you may learn. Overcoming adversity is one way for companies to grow.

Be wary of cutting and pasting either from plans from past years or from other similar organizations. Every company is unique.

And while this may sound obvious, do not ignore what your planning process tells you. Your research might show you should not go in a direction you might want to.

Writing Different Types of Strategic Plans

The strategic planning process will differ based on your organization, but the basic concepts will stay the same. Whether you are a nonprofit, a school, or a for-profit entity, strategic plans will look at where you are and how you will get to where you want to go.

How to Write a Strategic Plan for a Nonprofit

For a nonprofit, the strategic plan’s purpose is mainly how to best advance the mission. It’s imperative to make sure the mission statement accurately fits the organization.

In addition to a SWOT analysis and other sections that go into any strategic plan, a nonprofit needs to keep an eye on changing factors, such as funding. Some funding sources have finite beginnings and endings. Strategic planning is often continuous for nonprofits.

A nonprofit has to make the community care about its cause. In a for-profit organization, the marketing department works to promote the company’s product or services to bring in new revenue. For a nonprofit, however, conveying that message needs to be part of the strategic plan.

Coming up with an evaluation method and KPIs can sometimes be difficult for a nonprofit, since they are often focused on goals other than financial gain. For example, a substance abuse prevention coalition is trying to keep teens from starting to drink or use drugs, and proving the coalition’s methods work is often difficult to quantify.

This template can help you visually outline your strategic plan for your nonprofit.

Nonprofit Strategic Plan Template

Download Nonprofit Strategic Plan Template

Excel | Smartsheet

How to Write a Strategic Plan for a School

Writing a strategic plan for a school can be difficult because of the variety of stakeholders involved, including students, teachers, other staff, and parents.

Strategic planning in a school is different from others because there are no markets to explore, products to produce, clients to woo, or adjustable timelines. Schools often have set boundaries, missions, and budgets.

Even with the differences, the same planning process and structure should be in place for schools as it is for other types of organizations.

This template can help your university or school outline your strategic plan.

University Strategic Plan Outline Word Template

‌ ‌Download University Strategic Plan Outline – Word

How to Write a 5-Year Strategic Plan

There is no set time period for a strategic plan, but five years can be a sweet spot. In some cases, yearly planning might keep you continually stuck in the planning process, while 10 years might be too far out.

In addition to the basic sections that go into any strategic plan, when forecasting five years into the future, put one- and three-year checkpoints into the plan so you can track progress intermittently.

How to Write a 3-Year Strategic Plan

While five years is often the strategic planning sweet spot, some organizations choose to create three-year plans. Looking too far ahead can be daunting, especially for a new or changing company.

In a three-year plan, the goals and objectives have a shorter timeframe and you need to monitor them more frequently. Build those checkpoints into the plan.

“Most organizations do a three- to five-year plan now because they recognize the technology and the changes in business that are pretty dynamic now,” Stockmal says.

How to Write a Departmental Strategic Plan

The first step in writing a strategic plan for your department is to pay attention to your company’s overall strategic plan. You want to make sure the plans align.

The steps in creating a plan for a department are the same as for an overall strategic plan, but the mission statement, vision, SWOT analysis, goals, objectives, and so on are specific to only the people in your department. Look at each person separately and consider their core competencies, strengths, capabilities, and weaknesses. Assign people who will be responsible for certain tasks and tactics necessary to achieve your goals.

If you have access to a plan from a previous year, see how your department did in meeting its goals. Adjust the new plan accordingly.

When you finish your departmental plan, make sure to submit it to whomever is responsible for your company’s overall plan. Expect to make changes.

How to Write a Strategic Plan for a Project

A strategic plan is for the big picture, not for a particular project for an organization. Instead of a strategic plan, this area would fall under project management.

If you have a failing project and need to turn it around, this article might help.

How to Write a Personal Strategic Plan

Creating a strategic plan isn’t only for businesses. You can also create a strategic plan to help guide both your professional and personal life. The key is to include what is important to you. This process takes time and reflection.

Be prepared for what you discover about yourself. Because you will be looking at your strengths and weaknesses, you might see things you do not like. It is important to be honest with yourself. A SWOT analysis on yourself will give you some honest feedback if you let it.

Begin with looking at your life as it is now. Are you satisfied? What do you want to do more or less? What do you value most in your life? Go deeper than saying family, happiness, and health. This exercise will help you clarify your values.

Once you know what is important to you, come up with a personal mission statement that reflects the values you cherish. As it does within a business, this statement will help guide you in making future decisions. If something does not fit within your personal mission, you shouldn’t do it.

Using the information you discovered during your SWOT and mission statement process, come up with goals that align with your values. The goals can be broad, but don’t forget to include action items and timeframes to help you reach your goals.

As for the evaluation portion, identify how you will keep yourself accountable and on track. You might involve a person to remind you about your plan, calendar reminders, small rewards when you achieve a goal, or another method that works for you.

Below is additional advice for personal strategic plans:

There are things you can control and things you cannot. Keep your focus on what you can act on.

Look at the positive instead of what you will give up. For example, instead of focusing on losing weight, concentrate on being healthier.

Do not overcommit, and do not ignore the little details that help you reach your goals.

No matter what, do not dwell on setbacks and remember to celebrate successes.

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Strategic Plan Template

Use this free Strategic Plan Template for Word to manage your projects better.

2 page strategic plan template

When a company wants to map out its long-term business objectives and how it’ll get there, they use a strategic plan. Our free strategic plan template captures all topics that any company needs to define, so everything is aligned with the overall mission and vision of the company. More than that, the free strategic plan template guides you through the actions, resources and costs that will help you get there.

What Is a Strategic Plan?

A strategic plan is a document that company leaders use to capture the company’s future vision, goals and objectives. Unlike a business plan that focuses on short-term goals of serval months to several years, a strategic plan looks at the mid-to-long-term goals such as 3-5 years but is often longer than that.

The strategic plan should be easily shared as it provides a map for the whole company to follow in order to meet its goals. The strategic plan isn’t only shared, but it’s thoroughly understood by company employees, customers, business partners and investors.

ProjectManager's free strategic plan template

Strategic planning and the strategic plan that comes from this process isn’t a one-time occurrence. Teams should conduct strategic planning regularly to quickly respond to changes in the business, industry, legal and regulatory conditions. As conditions shift, so should the response plans.

Why You Need a Strategic Plan Template

A strategic plan template is a great tool in that it’s already laid out for you. Everything you need to define is outlined and saves you the time and effort of creating a new document. Templates are great for creating an archive of consistent documentation, especially as historical data can influence your current strategic plan.

In more general terms, all businesses need a target or direction to work towards. Strategic plans are like the roadmap that gets you there and defines the landscape. If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never know when you get there. That’s true from the highest executive to the newest employee as well as customers, investors and so on.

Strategic plans also help you track your goals across departments. Each department can then set its own goals to help the business achieve its larger goals. These various initiatives can be monitored and tracked with key performance indicators (KPIs). This can be extended to business units, teams and even individuals so everyone is working towards the same goals.

A strategic plan template is only a static document. To implement that plan you need project management software. ProjectManager has online roadmaps that allow you to manage all the projects that feed into your company’s overall mission. You can track your tasks, budgets, resources, processes and more, so you know you’re always progressing. Of course, you can build a strategic plan with milestones in the software, too. Try ProjectManager today for free.

Roadmap with a strategic plan

Who Should Use This Strategic Plan Template?

The free strategic plan template can be filled in by any number of people depending on the business. Usually, though, this responsibility falls on the shoulders of the owner or top business managers.

However, sometimes specialists are employed or the whole company becomes involved in the strategic planning process. In fact, more voices provide a wider perspective. One person should oversee refining those different perspectives in order to rein in the possible chaos of too many chefs in the kitchen.

Once the strategic plan is finalized, it should be shared among the company. The strategic plan template acts as a guide to keep the long-term goal in sight and how to get there. For some businesses, the customer should also be aware of the strategic plan. Other companies will want to share the strategic plan with investors.

How to Use This Strategic Plan Template

When you download our free strategic plan template for Word, you’ll find it’s broken up into sections. The free template is completely customizable so you can add or subtract as many sections as you need to flesh out your strategic plan. What we provide you with is the backbone of any thorough strategic plan, which is as follows.

1. Executive Summary

To start, you want to summarize what will follow. That’s all the executive summary is; a short introduction to the important information that’ll be fleshed out in the strategic plan. It gives an overview to investors and stakeholders.

2. Vision Statement

A vision statement is a statement that declares the mid-to-long-term goals of the company. Think of it as the target you want to hit with your strategic plan. What this statement should do is project your company into the future and in so doing help to define the plan and execution of getting you there.

3. Mission Statement

The mission statement is a short description of the purpose of the company. It should be no longer than one to three sentences at most and explain what the company does, who it serves and how it’s different from its competitors. But more than a dry definition, it should be inspirational, offering direction and focus for employees and giving customers a clear picture of what they can expect from the company.

4. SWOT Analysis

SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A SWOT analysis is used to assess those four aspects of the company. This is how a company can capture its current performance and build a strategy to achieve its future goals. But beyond internal factors or charting the company, make sure to explore external factors as well. This provides a fuller picture of how a company can carve a route to reach its objectives.

5. Business Goals

Business goals should define the target that a company is aiming for in the future. By doing this, a company has a way to measure its success, communicate these goals to its employees and ensure the company is going in the right direction.

6. Marketing Plan

The marketing plan outlines a company’s advertising strategy. It can be used to generate leads and reach a target audience, outreach and PR campaigns. Also included is how the company will measure the effectiveness of the initiatives.

  • Market research:  Uses competitive analysis, testing, surveys, etc., to determine the target audience and what needs the company is fulfilling or pain point it’s resolving.
  • Marketing campaigns: These include promotions, value propositions, differentiation factors, pricing, distribution channels, etc., to see the product or service.
  • Marketing KPIs: Using various metrics will help the company measure the success of its campaigns.

7. Operations Plan

The operation plan is an outline of the strategic plan’s goals and how the company plans to meet them. It’s an action plan that shows team members what they’re responsible for in achieving the goals of the strategic plan.

8. Financial Projections

When making financial projections for a company’s strategic plans they should include a forecast of the income statement, the balance sheet and the cash flow statement. These financial projects like the strategic plan are mid-to-long term.

Identify the team members with the skills and experience who will be responsible for executing the operational plan set forth in the company’s strategic plan.

Other Templates to Help with Your Strategic Plan

The free strategic plan document template for Word is a helpful tool to outline a company’s mid-to-long-term objectives. We have dozens of other free templates for Word and Excel that can help you manage every phase of a project, from planning to closure. Here are just a few of the free templates that we offer for download that are related to strategic planning.

Executive Summary Template

If you need help with the executive summary portion of the free strategic plan template, this free executive summary template is a great asset. It breaks down the points you’ll want to capture for an effective executive summary and is a valuable tool to complete that section of the strategic plan.

Marketing Campaign Template

The marketing plan is another section of the strategic plan that can be fully fleshed out with the free marketing campaign template. It outlines all the steps you need to introduce your product or service to market. It has fields to collect the goals of the campaign, identify the target audience and much more.

SWOT Analysis Template 

We’ve included a small SWOT analysis table in the free strategic plan template, but you might want more space to capture this important data. If so, use our free SWOT analysis template for Word, which you can then attach to the strategic plan template. This colorful template helps you see where you are and offer guidance to get you where you want to be.

ProjectManager Is a Robust Planning Tool

Free templates are a great way to gather information and develop a strategic plan, but they’re not as good at managing that plan once you implement it. You need more robust tools, not static documents or spreadsheets. ProjectManager is online project management software that connects teams and helps them plan, manage and track their progress in real time.

Track Progress with Real-Time Dashboards

You’ve put the strategic plan in the Gantt chart and can now see the roadmap in a visual timeline. But to make sure you keep to that schedule you need to have a way to monitor progress and performance. Our real-time dashboards track metrics such as time, cost and more all in real time so you can respond quickly to changes that threaten your goals. Unlike other lightweight tools, there’s no configuration or set. It’s ready when you are.

ProjectManager’s dashboard view, which shows six key metrics on a project

Work How You Want with Multiple Project Views

Gantt charts are great for managers, but they’re not the ones who are will execute the strategic plan. It’s a group effort that involves every department in the company from marketing and sales to IT and manufacturing, and they all use different tools. That’s why we offer multiple project views that share the same real-time data whether you’re using a list view, the visual workflow of a kanban or a calendar to capture important dates. Everyone is working from a single source of truth.

Calendar for tracking strategic plans

Related Content

Strategic planning is a big subject and we’ve only scratched the surface. If you want to learn more, you’re in luck. ProjectManager isn’t only a great tool to create and manage your strategic plan, it’s also the online hub for all things project management. We have free blogs each week, tutorial videos, eBooks, white pages and, of course, free templates. Here are a few links to follow and read more about strategic plans.

  • 15 Free Word and Excel Templates for Business
  • Strategic Planning in Business
  • Strategic Planning Models: An Introduction to 5 Popular Models
  • A Quick Guide to Strategic Initiatives 

ProjectManager Helps You Reach Your Strategic Goals

ProjectManager is award-winning software that helps you plan, manage and track your strategic plans. Our collaborative platform connects everyone across departments and time zones. With features that help you manage risk, tasks and resources you’re more likely to adjust to changes in the market and hit your target. See why teams in organizations as varied as NASA, Siemens and Nestle use our tool to deliver success. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.

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6+ Two Page Strategic Plan Templates – PDF

If you’re going to start your own business, then it’s very important that you know the direction in which it should be going. This means that you’ll need to come up with a plan that will tell you what needs to be achieved, what needs to be done to meet them, when they need to be met, and who will be in charge of making doing them. You may also see plan samples .

2 page strategic plan template

  • 45+ Free Strategic Plan Templates
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Sample Two Page Strategic Plan

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Two Pages Strategic Plan Example

two pages strategic plan example

Information Two Page Strategic Plan

information two page strategic plan

The Differences Between a Two Page Strategic Plan and One Page Strategic Plan

1. two page strategic plan goes into more detail, 2. the one page strategic plan gets to the point quicker, printable two year strategic plan.

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Research and Development Two Page Strategic Plan

research and development two page strategic plan

How to Create Your Two Page Strategic Plan

1. write down your business’s vision and mission, 2. write down your business goals, department of administrative services two page.

department of admnistrative services two page

Standard Two Page Strategic Plan

standard two page strategic plan

3. Do a SWOT Analysis

  • Know Where Your Strengths Lie – The first thing you will need to go over would have to be your business’s strenghts. You can find them in just about any area of your business, but you’ll need to keep a list of what these are. Make sure that these are things which can actually help your business in reaching its goals. Once you know what they are, write them down in your two page strategic plan. You may also see strategic sales plans .
  • Figure Out your Weaknesses – Where there are strengths, there are weaknsesses. And just like your strengths, there’s a possiblity that you can find a number of these in the different areas throughout your business. You’ll want to ensure that you’re able to spot them all as you cannot just let these weaknesses persits, they may just do significant damage to your business in the future. So spot them all and find solutions to them as soon as possible. You may also see hospital strategic plans .
  • Find Areas of Opportunity – The kind of opportunities you will take will depend entirely on what kind of business you’re opening up, what its goals are, and what strengths it has. All these things should help you determine which opportunities you should take advantage of that will benefit your business in the future. Because if you’re not careful, you might just end up trying to force your business into what you though was a good opportunity, only to realize that it ended up more as an expense rather than a worthwhile investment. You may also see free strategic plan templates .
  • Take Care of the Threats – There are always going to be things that may very well threaten your business, meaning that you will need to be able to identify them as soon as possible. These can come from both inside or outside your business so be sure that you check thoroughly. One of the biggest threats that you have to deal with are your competition. You’ll want to get the competitive edge if you want your business to thrive. This means you’ll need to put in time, effort, and even money if you want to gain the information you need. You may also see church strategic plans .

4. Plan the Right Actions and Assing Them to the Right People

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Strategic Planning for Word, PDF, Google Docs

2 page strategic plan template

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Template Highlights

  • Download the strategic planning template as a Word document or PDF.
  • In the Executive Summary section, provide a brief overview of the company, your mission statement, your key objectives, and your major partners.
  • Under Market Research, describe your main clients, your status in the market, and your major competitors.
  • In the Development section, you should describe your product and provide details on your delivery capabilities and system, your pricing model, and any critical suppliers.
  • Next, in the Marketing Plan section, describe your strategy, your client breakdown, your positioning, and your advertising plan.
  • Finally, perform a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis.

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Strategic planning.

STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

COMPANY OVERVIEW

MISSION STATEMENT

KEY OBJECTIVES

KEY PARTNERS

DEVELOPMENT:

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

DELIVERY CAPABILITIES

PRICING MODEL

DELIVERY SYSTEM

CRITICAL ELEMENT SUPPLIERS

MARKET RESEARCH:

MARKET STATUS

COMPETITION

MARKETING PLAN:

CLIENT BREAKDOWN

POSITIONING

ADVERTISING

SWOT ANALYSIS

OPPORTUNITIES

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is strategic planning important, how do you lead a strategic planning session, is this template free, related tags:.

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2 page strategic plan template

Built for those who need to quickly develop a strategic plan on their own.

Export and download your plan in two easy clicks., one-page plan.

Print your plan double-sided to provide an overview of your plan to quickly and efficiently communicate your strategic direction.

2 page strategic plan template

Full Strategic Plan

Download your Full Strategic Plan including your SWOT, mission, vision, values, competitive advantages, strategic objectives, goals, and initiatives.

2 page strategic plan template

Build a plan quickly and efficiently using our strategic planning template.

Build your strategic plan, complete a swot analysis.

Identify your current state and clarify what key considerations need to be carried into your plan.

Establish Mission, Vision, & Values

Define the strategic foundation of your plan with a long-term vision of success.

Build Strategic Objectives

Outline your plan’s focus with organization-wide strategic objectives using the balanced scorecard framework.

Create Goals and Initiatives

Build SMART goals and supporting initiatives to help your organization achieve its vision.

2 page strategic plan template

Follow guided inputs and automation to structure your plan.

Follow guided inputs, planning automation.

Generate the content of your plan using prompts that structure core planning elements, including your SWOT, mission, values, competitive advantages, and vision.

Automated Goal Suggestions

Leverage or adapt automated goal suggestions created from your SWOT analysis.

Pre-Populated Inputs

Use the pre-populated suggestions for strategic objectives and goals.

Examples & Definitions

Access a library of examples, definitions, and videos to guide you as you build your plan.

2 page strategic plan template

We’ve helped over 7,000,000 people build great plans. You’re in good company.

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Business strategy template

By atlassian.

Present your business vision and help your team understand your strategic plan

Business strategy template

The meeting’s scheduled. Your strategy’s ready. Use the business strategy template to focus your thoughts before you present your vision and strategic plan to executive leadership and your team. Once everyone understands your strategy, use our template to organize how you’ll get it done.

How to use the strategic plan template

Step 1. lead with an executive summary.

Kick off your meeting the right way with an executive summary. You need to provide context by explaining the data and decisions that guide your strategy. This helps executive leadership, teammates, and stakeholders understand and adopt your plan. Start by reviewing your company’s recent performance. Then summarize key struggles, successes, and lessons learned that inform your strategy.

Step 2. Analyze your business

Now that you’ve set the stage, you can present the market landscape and your business analysis. By preparing ahead of time and organizing your thoughts with our template, everyone at your meeting can quickly become familiar with your strategic plan. Start by presenting your competitors' strengths and weaknesses. Then focus your analysis by prioritizing target audiences.

Step 3. Present your strategic plan

Before you get into the details, inspire your team by presenting the vision that guides your business strategy. This will help leadership and stakeholders understand how your strategic plan successfully navigates the competitive landscape. When you present your strategic plan, prioritize goals and make sure to include key success metrics. Finish your meeting by laying out your execution plan and following up on open questions.

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20 Free Strategic Plan Templates (Excel & Cascade) 2024

2 page strategic plan template

There are no shortcuts to success when it comes to driving profitable business growth. It’s hard. It’s challenging. It’s a grind. But you know what makes it even harder? Lack of guidance. No direction. No accountability.

That’s why we compiled our best-of-the-best, most popular, crème de la crème strategic plan templates to help you achieve business goals faster. And they are yours—for free.   You can use these templates to make strategic plans for your business strategy, different business functions, or teams. Or you can use them as an aid in your analysis as part of the planning process.

101,347 strategy pros have already used them and added them to their strategy playbook. What are you still waiting for?

In this article, you will get:

  • 20 free strategic plan templates that will help you to build a roadmap and execute it
  • A quick rundown of 7 steps you shouldn't miss in strategic planning

#1 Strategy Execution Platform Don't plan to fail.  Break down the complexity of your plans from high-level initiative to  executable outcome.   Learn how. Book a demo!

What Is A Strategic Plan Template?

A strategic plan template is a tool that helps leaders translate business strategies into actionable steps with a clear roadmap , projects, deliverables, budgets, and owners. It provides a decision-making framework and ensures that all initiatives and resources within an organization align with the overall business strategy.

Think of it like a map that helps you navigate from point A to point B. It lays out roads and milestones to help you get to your destination, all while keeping you focused on your company goals.

In other words, a strategic business plan helps you create alignment and focus across all levels of your organization to maintain momentum and successfully execute your strategies .

And the best part is that it allows you to monitor performance in one place without having to switch between spreadsheets and disconnected systems. This simplifies identifying areas for improvement and measuring progress in real-time. With a well-integrated system, data errors are reduced, and performance analysis and strategy reporting become easier.

With the right template, you’ll be able to keep your team (or teams) on track and identify red flags before it's too late.

20 Strategic Plan Templates To Turn Your Goals Into Action

Success doesn't follow a set path—that's why this article gives you multiple strategic planning templates. Each is for a specific use case or team within your organization. Plus, you can pick between Cascade or Excel version—whichever works best for you.

1. Strategic Planning Template

2 page strategic plan template

If you're tired of using complicated spreadsheets for strategic planning, you’ll love the Strategic Planning Template —Cascade version!

This Cascade template offers you a better way than Excel and other static tools. It’s packed with pre-filled examples and features that will help you create a clear roadmap with timelines, KPIs, goals, and owners. You’ll be able to bring in your team and collaborate to transform goals into results faster than ever.

And there’s more! 👀

You’ll also get access to additional features like Dashboards , Timeline View, and Strategy Maps . This will help you pinpoint performance at any given moment and track progress so you can take corrective action before it’s too late.

You’ll be able to plan, execute , measure, and adapt your strategic plan in one place. You can even create multiple strategic plans and link them together so you have full visibility into performance.

Looking for a way to save time and automate your reports?

Cascade makes it easy for you with powerful Reports . With this template, you’ll get access to integrations that will help you automatically track key performance metrics and pull data into reports that can be easily customized to fit your target audience's needs.

How to use this template?

Start by filling out the objectives, goals, and KPIs, and start executing your plan right away!

💡Best for: This is a general, pre-filled strategic planning template, so you can use it as inspiration and set your own strategic goals. It’s suitable for outcome-oriented teams at any level of organization, regardless of industry or company size.

👉 Click here to get your FREE Strategic Planning Template (Cascade version).

2. Strategic Plan Template (Excel)

2 page strategic plan template

Not feeling ready to elevate your strategic planning and execution to the next level?

Our simple Strategic Plan Template in an Excel spreadsheet will help you fill out key elements of a strategic plan, including the vision statement, strategic objectives, and key performance indicators (KPIs). With this template, you can also add an executive summary and create a one-page strategic plan that you can quickly share with your team or leadership.

Download your Excel template here.

However, Excel isn’t the best way to create a strategic plan . Here’s why:

  • You usually end up with multiple strategic planning documents that are difficult to align and track in real-time.
  • When you are using manual methods, using spreadsheets to track performance, you run the risk of errors.
  • You spend too much time collecting data and pinging your team members to collect the latest information on progress.

Excel is a great starting point for strategic planning, but you should consider the Excel alternative to streamline strategic planning and execution— Cascade , the strategy execution platform designed for teams of all sizes.

“ Cascade provides a readily accessible platform for hosting our strategy and enables us to generate live updates at the push of a button. It has increased transparency and accountability for our Strategic Priorities and has allowed us to remove silo working and improve alignment . The real game changer from my perspective is the reporting function. Cascade has turned a labor-intensive manual process into something which can be completed in minutes . ” - Enterprise user, Source: G2 review .

3. Business Strategy Template

2 page strategic plan template

Like the general strategic planning template above, the Business Strategy Template is loaded with features that will help you achieve business goals faster.

You’ll be able to set your organization’s strategic direction, long-term goals, business objectives, and KPIs to measure progress.

This business plan template will help you communicate business priorities, break down siloed teams, and gain real-time visibility into what’s happening across the business.

💡Best for: This is a pre-filled business strategy template, so you can use it as inspiration and streamline your business planning process. It can be used by leadership teams in organizations of any size, including enterprises and startups.

👉 Click here to get your Business Strategy Template.

4. Operations Plan Template

2 page strategic plan template

Operations are the core engine of an organization’s performance. With this Operational Plan Template , you'll be able to plan your company's operational strategy in a way that helps your employees maximize the resources you have and gain a competitive edge.

You can build a high-level strategic plan for your operations or set goals for each of your departments. This will help you keep your teams accountable for progress and have visibility into what’s happening in your key areas.

By using Reports , you can build tailored progress reports and provide up-to-date information to your executive team at any time. This will help you save time, ensure accuracy, and build trust with your board by giving them insights into the company’s performance.

On top of that, you can link your operational plan template with the overarching business strategy. This will help you stay aligned with business goals, and your teams will have the needed context to make aligned decisions on a daily basis.

💡Best for: Chief operating officers (COOs) and operations teams that need to align day-to-day operations with strategic business goals and ensure they deliver on performance.

👉 Click here to get your free Operational Plan Template.

5. Human Resources Plan Template

2 page strategic plan template

A strong HR Strategic Plan Template is very helpful not only in the hiring process but also in defining the workplace culture and the types of people your organization wants to work with. With this template, you can set KPIs and track progress toward set targets in real time.

💡Best for: Business leaders, HR managers, and HR teams that need to support business goals with a clear HR roadmap.

👉 Click here to get your free HR Strategy Template.

6. Balanced Scorecard Template

2 page strategic plan template

A balanced scorecard (BSC) is a strategic planning tool that helps organizations track, monitor, and execute their business strategy.

This template will help you set goals, KPIs, and projects for each of the four perspectives within the balanced scorecard framework.

You’ll also get access to Dashboards where you can set up real-time dashboards to monitor progress within each perspective. Using the Cascade template, you will have a complete view of your balanced scorecard in one place.

💡Best for: Strategy teams, business leaders, and managers that are using a balanced scorecard methodology in their organizations.

👉 Click here to get your Balanced Scorecard Template.

7. OKR Template (Excel)

2 page strategic plan template

In recent years, OKRs have become one of the most popular performance management frameworks. Some are raving fans, and others cringe at their mention. If you fall into the first category, here's the OKR template that'll help you set and meet your OKRs.

You can use it to set OKRs at a company, team, or individual level.

💡Best for: Business and team leaders who are already familiar with the OKR framework and want to track performance.

👉 Read more and grab your OKR Template here.

8. Digital Transformation Plan Template

2 page strategic plan template

A digital transformation goes beyond implementing digital tools in your processes. It requires an organization-wide shift. This Digital Transformation Strategic Planning Template will help you build a digital transformation plan that takes into account all areas of your organization that need to change.

You'll be able to define focus areas, set clear goals, KPIs, and projects, which are all needed for a successful transformation.

Digital transformation is the responsibility of the whole organization. Using this template, you’ll make sure your team has the context and the right information so they can help you implement digital transformation initiatives across the organization.

Another key benefit of this template is that you’ll have all the data centralized in one place. This will help you make informed decisions and keep your digital transformation strategy from failing.

And yes, you can connect it with your favorite business tools , including Power BI, Tableau, Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Microsoft Outlook.

💡Best for: Leadership, CIOs, transformation managers , and teams responsible for developing a digital transformation roadmap and implementing initiatives across the organization.

👉 Click here to get your Digital Transformation Strategic Planning Template.

9. IT Strategy Template

2 page strategic plan template

This Cascade IT Strategic Plan Template will help you outline your bold initiatives to transform, modernize, and optimize your IT landscape. Bring in your IT team and collaborate on shared goals.

Also, you'll be able to link your IT strategic plan to your business strategy and ensure the executive team understands how IT projects help achieve business goals. You’ll be able to demonstrate the interdependencies across IT initiatives that impact financial performance.

This template will help you prioritize key IT initiatives to support business outcomes and keep track of progress.  

💡Best for: CTOs, CIOs, IT directors, and IT teams that are responsible for IT strategic planning and implementation.

👉 Click here to get your free IT Strategic Plan Template.

10. Change Management Plan Template

2 page strategic plan template

Need a template to build a change management plan that will support your business strategy? Look no further.

This Change Management Plan Template will help you define a clear timeline, action steps, and clear expectations for those who will be involved in change implementation.

💡Best for: Leaders who own the change strategy and need to make a plan and monitor key metrics associated with change initiatives.

👉 Click here to get your Change Management Template.

11. Digital Marketing Strategy Template

2 page strategic plan template

Build your digital marketing plan with this free template. You’ll be able to set goals, assign owners, and track the performance of key marketing metrics. This Digital Marketing Plan Template can be your living document as you scale marketing activities and serve as a North Star for your marketing team.

💡Best for: This template is designed for marketing teams aiming to expand their presence virtually and businesses aiming to go global or gain an international customer base. Digital content creators, project management teams, social media managers, digital CRM analysts, e-commerce executives, public relations specialists, and user experience specialists might also find this template useful.

👉   Click here to get your FREE Digital Marketing Strategy Template.

12. McKinsey's 3 Horizons Strategy Template

2 page strategic plan template

This strategic planning template is based on McKinsey’s Three Horizons Framework . It helps you organize the organization’s goals into three timeframes:

  • Horizon 1: Short-term initiatives and projects that will help you achieve business goals within a few months or a year. The focus of this horizon is to maintain and defend your core business.
  • Horizon 2: This horizon focuses on extending your current business models that will pay off in 2 or 3 years.
  • Horizon 3: Long-term strategic initiatives and investments that will create new business models or products in 3-5 years. Or later - depending on your strategic planning cycles.

The key benefit of the Three Horizons template is that it gives you a complete picture of your three horizons. On top of that, you'll be able to update key goals and initiatives with just a few clicks. A new update will be reflected in all subgoals or project plans that are linked. If you want to outperform your rivals or merely survive in uncertain times, you must be able to quickly adapt your strategy and plans.

💡Best for: Leadership and strategy teams who are responsible for strategic planning at a company level.

👉 Click here to get your Three Horizons Strategic Plan Template.

13. Retail Strategic Plan Template

2 page strategic plan template

This Retail Strategic Plan Template provides an example of a corporate strategic plan for companies in the retail industry. You can use it as inspiration to develop a strategic plan for your retail business .

💡Best for: Strategy teams and business leaders within the retail industry.

👉 Click here to get your FREE Retail Strategic Plan Template.

14. SWOT Analysis Template (Excel)

2 page strategic plan template

A SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool that helps you identify the internal strengths, weaknesses, and external opportunities and threats that can impact the organization’s growth initiatives and pursuit of its goals.

You can also use it to perform a competitive analysis but you need to look at it through different lenses—from the competitor’s perspective.

💡Best for: Leadership, strategy teams, and other functional teams that are responsible for formulating strategies and strategic plans.

👉 Click here to download your SWOT Analysis Template.

15-17. Internal Analysis Toolkit

In this collection, you will find 5 different templates to help you with internal analysis, including:

  • Gap Analysis Template
  • McKinsey 7S Framework Template
  • Core Competencies Analysis

An internal analysis is an important step before drafting a strategic plan. It will help you carry out your competitive analysis, identify your current situation, and set action plans and relevant strategic goals.

💡Best for: Leadership, strategy teams, and other stakeholders that are involved in the strategic planning process.

👉 Get your internal analysis toolkit here.

18. VRIO Strategy Template

2 page strategic plan template

What’s the point of analysis if you don't use those insights to solve your business problem?

VRIO analysis helps you look at your resources and skills to see where your business is lacking. This is important if you want your business to build a sustainable competitive advantage.

Once you’ve found your gaps, you need to make a plan and set goals that will help you develop the missing resources and capabilities.

This VRIO Strategy Template will help you set clear strategic objectives, assign KPIs, and monitor performance so you can gain a competitive advantage and a market leadership position.

💡 Best for: Strategy teams, COOs, and portfolio managers who are in charge of business development and business strategic planning.

👉 Click here to get your free VRIO Strategy Template.

19. Nonprofit Business Plan Template

nonprofit business plan template cascade

Our Nonprofit Business Plan Template provides you with a comprehensive framework to develop a strategic plan specifically tailored to the unique needs and challenges of nonprofit endeavors. It serves as a roadmap, guiding you through the strategic planning process and ensuring that your nonprofit's initiatives are aligned with your core mission and objectives.

💡 Best for: Nonprofit leaders, board members, and teams dedicated to advancing nonprofit missions.

👉 Get your Nonprofit Business Plan Template here

20. Operating & Financial Model Template (Excel)

financial and operating model template excel

This template is your go-to for turning numbers into smart moves. You can establish your financial projections, automate your P&L statements, key financial and operational metrics, and even gain access to real-time automated dashboards.

With our Operating & Financial Model Template in Excel format, you'll grasp what your financial and operational metrics are really saying and act on these insights. Keeping a close eye on these key indicators will allow you to approach your planning process with clear data rooted in reality.

👉 Get your Operating & Financial Model Template here!

📚 Read our article to learn more about this template : The Ultimate Operating & Financial Model Template (Free Spreadsheet)

👀 Did you find what you were looking for? If not, you can explore our template library with 100+ strategy templates that will assist you in planning and executing your strategy. You can select between various strategic planning templates tailored for business leaders, specific departments, or industries.

5 Steps You Shouldn't Miss In The Strategic Planning Process

Here’s a short recap of each step so you know what to keep in mind before diving deep into the strategic planning process.

Step 1: Decide on your key metrics

How can you make a plan if you don’t know where you want the plan to take you?

This is the moment where you define your desired future state and align on the key metrics the whole company will need to work on to get there.

These should be no more than 4-5 and present in every strategic discussion.

💡 Pro Tip : To be able to set realistic key metrics for the future, you need to understand where you are today. Maybe you have a clear diagnosis of your current state, but if you don’t, we suggest you assess it before setting these metrics. But beware of analysis paralysis! Make a quick analysis and move.

Step 2: Choose your focus areas

Now that you know where you need to go, you can give your plan a little structure by setting focus areas. These are the areas that you’ll want to focus on to achieve those key metrics you defined in the previous step.

📚Recommended reading : Strategic Focus Areas: How To Create Them + Examples

Step 3: Define your strategic objectives

Strategic objectives are high-level statements that outline exactly what you want to accomplish by a specific deadline.

In other words, it is something that can be tangibly achieved and should contribute to achieving at least one of your strategic focus areas.

📚Recommended reading : How to Write Strategic Objectives .  

Step 4: Assign projects & set KPIs

Projects and KPIs will ensure you move forward toward achieving your strategic objectives.

Projects will determine the actions that you’ll carry out to achieve the objectives, and your KPIs will help you understand and measure the progress toward them.

Having projects and KPIs in place will provide a clear roadmap with important milestones you need to hit to get closer to achieving your key metrics.

💡 Pro Tip : KPIs are necessary for any business, whether public, private, or non-profit, so think about the KPIs that are more relevant to your organization. To make them realistic and achievable, we suggest you use the SMART methodology.

📚Recommended reading:

  • How To Create Effective Projects
  • How to write KPIs

Step 5: Constantly monitor and iterate

Things don’t always work out the way we plan.

Part of building your strategic plan is to monitor its progress toward the goals you set. With real-time tracking, you can quickly pinpoint those things that aren’t working and adapt fast to get back on track. That’s why strategic planning must be an iterative process .

🎁 Bonus Tip: Don’t forget your core elements—Vision Statement & Core Values

This is not a step in your strategic planning process, but it’s an important consideration.

Always remember to align your plans with the overarching core elements of your organization:

  • Vision statement— your company’s North Star that guides the direction
  • Mission statement —the “why” behind your company’s existence
  • Core values— the behaviors you celebrate and preach as a company
  • How To Write A Good Vision Statement
  • How to Create Company Values

Now that you know the steps you need to effectively plan your strategy, get your FREE strategic planning template to streamline the process!

Use Cascade To Plan And Execute Your Strategy 🚀

Too often, strategies live in the minds of intellectuals, spread through the organization via a fancy PowerPoint once a quarter. In truth, this approach will never work.

Organizations today are operating on razor-thin margins, and leaders need to be able to guarantee organizational-wide alignment, real-time visibility of the progress, and accelerated decision-making to maximize efficiency.

This is where Cascade becomes your favorite business tool. Cascade is the #1 strategy execution platform that helps organizations embrace a strategy rooted in reality.

With Cascade, you get less chaos, more visibility, and faster results. By connecting your metrics, initiatives, and investments to your business performance, you’ll be able to make better decisions, faster.

Here’s what you get with Cascade:

  • Streamline strategy development by simplifying complexity.
  • Directly link your business data to core initiatives.
  • Gain insight into the synergy of various organizational plans.
  • Monitor activity interactions, log dependencies, blockers, and risks.
  • Utilize dashboards and reports to assess strategic performance and share with stakeholders.
  • Enjoy over 1,000 integrations with popular business tools like Teams, Jira, Airtable, Microsoft Outlook, Power BI, and more.

Streamline your strategic planning process with our tested and proven strategic plan templates .

What is the purpose of a strategic plan?

A strategic plan helps you build a roadmap to get your business or team from where it is today to where it wants to be in the future. It provides strategic clarity to all involved stakeholders, so they can make informed decisions on a daily basis.

How do you write a strategic plan?

One of the most effective ways to write your strategic plan is to choose one of the strategic planning models and follow step-by-step instructions. Read more in this in-depth overview of the 5 best strategic planning models.

What are the 7 elements of a strategic plan?

The seven elements of a corporate strategic plan are vision, values, focus areas, objectives, KPIs, projects, and initiatives . You can write a strategic plan for a team or department focusing only on five key elements—without vision and values.

Who should use a strategic planning template?

Anyone in a leadership role who needs to align their team (or teams) on specific goals, objectives, and initiatives, should use a strategic planning template. It's also helpful for anyone who needs to create a visual representation of their strategies, so they can be communicated and implemented across the organization.

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Don Crowther

The Two-Page Strategic Plan Template

Proven strategies and techniques to build your business.

TheFree2 PageStrategicPlanTemplate

Download this simple, yet powerful 2-page Strategic Plan Template to help you create your own strategic plan. And best of all - it's free!

Several years ago, one of my best friends, Jeff Walker, taught me a very important principle.

To spend at least a week every year, with no employees around, just to think strategically about my business.

My objective for that week is to create a Strategic Plan for my business.

But unlike the Strategic Plans that I've created for Fortune 100 companies, this plan is a simple, yet powerful, two-page document that tells me exactly what to do, when, to achieve my goals for the year.

I'd like to give you a copy of that Strategic Plan Template for free.

Because that one document has done more to build my business than anything else I do.

DownloadIconOrange

GET YOUR FREE 2-PAGE STRATEGIC PLAN TEMPLATE HERE

You're just 2 pages away from a simpler, more profitable business - so you can spend your time doing what you love most!

You'll receive a zip file containing the blank template in both Microsoft Word and PDF format, and a sample completed form.

Here's a video that walks you, step-by-step, through the process of filling it out:

The key here is that it's not the form that makes the difference, it's the thought behind it. So, I recommend you plan on spending at least 2-3 hours in a quiet room, with no distractions, to think about the elements asked for in this form.

You are welcome to use this form for multiple businesses that you own. Simply fill out a version for each business, then do one in the end that summarizes everything.

Plus, this process works for lots of other things besides business. It's valuable for thinking through where you are now, where you want to bue, and what you've got to do to fill that gap.

To get your free copy, simply click the button below:

The zip file will arrive in your inbox in about 15 minutes. If it's not there by then, please check your spam folder.

Like this document? Please share it on social media and leave a comment below!

Here are just a few of the hundreds of testimonials we have received from those who have downloaded and used the strategic plan template:

PhilAmmendolia

Once again, Don Crowther over delivers. If you run a small business or plan to start one, you need this tool. I really believe following Don’s guidelines on this could be the difference between profit and loss. And, it’s FREE. Thanks Don!

Phil Ammendolia - VP of Sales and Marketing • Allwin Powersports Corp. - LS2 Helmets ​ ​ ​

IanRichardson

Thanks Don for this valuable tool, it’s really going to help me achieve my goals. I suggest everyone in business go thought this and I will be recommending it to my clients, which in turn will help me plan their online marketing.

Ian RichaRDSON - ASKIANRICHARDSON.COM ​ ​ ​

JoannSnell

Hi Don, Thanks for the great video and template! You gave me a place to start with my strategic plan. It’s easier to do now with the examples that you have shown.

Thanks again!

JOANN SNELL - JOSGRAPHICDESIGNS.COM ​ ​ ​

YemiWilliams

May the Good Lord bless and be with you now and always. It is simple, straight forward and came at the right time. Kind of glued everything else together for me… Now I just got it Thanks a million times.

YEMI WILLIAMS - THEYEMIREVIEW.COM ​ ​ ​

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Thank you for this great template!

I heard about you from Marisa Murgatroyds training and immediately came here and downloaded this template. I now have it completed and printed. I look at it daily and find that it provides me with the clarity and focus I need to keep working daily in my business.

Thank you Kristen! Glad to help.

I’m especially impressed that you “look at it daily” – that’s exactly the type of behavior that makes a huge difference in your life and business!

Congratulations on being EXCEPTIONAL!

You can then adjust your marketing techniques accordingly. In the world of the internet, advertising has gone a great leap from the traditional form of advertising some fifty years back. Instagram is still uncharted territory for marketers.

Hi, I would like to use your template in my assignment. therefore I will need to make reference it using the hardware reference system. please let me know how to make reference to your template. Thanks in advance.

I am so grateful that you and Marisa Mergatroyd did the webinar together on Clarity and Income this afternoon. That information was great, but I think best with forms and tables. I found your strategic plan template on your website. It’s exactly what I need.

This is helping me organize the tremendous amount of info I heard in the list building summit and in Marisa’s presentation. Marisa helped me know what to do first and your form is helping me organize all the steps of the process. It’s providing forward momentum! Thanks so much!

I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own blog and was wondering what all is required to get setup? I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny? I’m not very web savvy so I’m not 100% sure. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Wenn ich es nicht besser wüsste, dann würde ich doch ohne Weiteres darauf tippen, dass der Artikel mit dem Titel “Strategic Plan Template : DonCrowther.com” glatt aus meiner Feder stammen könnte so exzellent wie der hier steht. Alle Daumen hoch und weiterhin viel Erfolg weiter so in Zukunft!

This is the great Article. Thank you!

I am really enjoying the theme/design of your website. Do you ever run into any web browser compatibility problems? A number of my blog readers have complained about my site not working correctly in Explorer but looks great in Opera. Do you have any advice to help fix this problem?

Thanks for the kind words. I suggest you use the Genesis theme by Studio Press. That should solve your issues. Don

This is the great Article. Can you teach some dos and don’ts of social media marketing? Thank you

Don, this 2-page template could be develop into a self leadership course, i like the layout and how it make the individual think. I am glad its not another time management course.

Yep, been thinking the same thing myself. What kinds of things would any of you want to have covered in a course on business strategy or self-leadership?

This is a great peice of kit Don. Just the sort of thing I’m looking for. I have created a blog in the quest to find quality planning tools. [Edited to remove link]

Don, I read this pages ages ago and I have procrastinated in applying it in reality. Today I am going to try to use your template and make a realistic strategic plan. Every plan I made in the past has failed because I have not looked to the medium or long term. I want to apply it to my songwriting / recordings, and my music marketing.

Thanks for this simple template! I found your site doing a search on “strategic planning template” and I was pleased to find a resource that offers a simple, 2 page template.

While originally seraching for a template to use in my role as a voluneer board member for a professional association, I intend to apply the template to my professional blog, as well.

I want to thank you for the form for the two page media plan. I just filled it out for a volunteer group we have, and I want to point out another benefit of the form: it makes clear to people who are not terribly sophistiated about social media that it isn’t about the medium, it’s about the message.

I think this simple form saved me at least three meetings which would have otherwise been necessary to explain what the heck I was talking about.

I have translated it into Dutch for my use, because I am located in Holland. If you want a copy of what it looks like in Dutch, let me know and I’ll send it over. 🙂

Gratefully,

Jeannine van der Linden

Once again, Don Crowther over delivers. If you run a small business or plan to start one, you need this tool. I really believe following Don’s guidelines on this could be the difference between profit and loss. And, it’s FREE. Thanks Don!

Hi Don, I found it so true. I attended your webinar and you mentioned this page. I tried it on Google and it’s really on 1st page with the keyword “strategic plan template”.

Thanks for this template. A buddy of mine just sent me the link. I plan to use it right away to salvage the rest of my year. I have so many marketing ideas and no consistent plan of action. Your template will sure help me streamline my business.

This is fantastic. I’m getting so much done now that I’ve made a few changes to my life. My productivity has skyrocketed, but I’m still missing a deeper level of organization and this will help quite a bit.

Thanks Again, T. Emeric Damien Thorpe

I love following you work and the tips and strategies you provide. I have some of your products also that is coming of great use…

I got so much use out of the Strategic Planning Training you provided in your blog for my businesses, and I was wondering if you perhaps have an example of the Financial Analysis and Equipment/Staffing/Investing Requirements as additional pages like you suggested?

I am willing to pay for these examples as I am finding it hard to find something as user friendly as yours online to track finances, expenses etc.

Many thanks and look forward to hearing from you, Emelie

By the way, when do you plan on releasing a product with more information on this topic since you really seem to have it down to a T with simplicity? 😉

Many thanks, Emelie

It’s not on my short list right now, but it is on my long list. It could happen someday, but I wouldn’t suggest holding your breath as you wait :<)

Thanks for your kind words, Don

Thanks, great resource! One of the key components for me this year is planning – long and short term and on a daily basis 😉

thank you so much, Don. This is truly nice of you. there’s something I want to talk to about I have to wait till later I’ll be in touch

Wonderful and more importantly…simple & easy-to-use! Thanks for a great tool and “power trampoline” for 2011, Don. You rock! 🙂 hugs & high fives, ali

Thanks, Don. Plan is the first step. And now it´s our turn to make it happen. Very simply, but necessary 🙂 I wish you successful year 2011!

hi Don, this is very nice. i’m gonna share this to my blog. this is perfect for the new year. continue to feed us with great stuff just like this. thanks!

Very timely and very useful…thanks big time. The limit of 2 pages makes it practical and a live document, one that I would refer to regularly.

The Best for 2011!

Thank you Don, this will be something to help set the mind straight right from the dead go, much appreciated.

Thanks Don for this valuable tool, it’s really going to help me achieve my goals for 2011.

I suggest everyone in business go thought this and I will be recommending it to my clients, which in turn will help me plan their online marketing.

Thanks again

Great post Don! I have also been working on my strategic plan this season.You stated the facts in a clear, concise manner that anyone can go and take action on! In fact, I will share this with my Team.

Continued Blessings & Prosperity~

Thanks Don for the excellent template and example!

The key to this all is just like you say “Just go DO this stuff!”.

Put some thought into it, but don’t over think it. Put down some goals and objectives and don’t worry about all the details at this point. This will come in later during your weekly plan review as you plan your tasks for the week ahead to achieve the goals you laid out.

And if it doesn’t all happen exactly according to plan, so what! Change the plan, adjustment it, make it better. Just keep on taking action, and at the end of the year I guarantee that you will be a lot closer to your objectives than you are now.

Now “Just go DO this stuff!”

Great points Dan – I appreciate the added perspective they provide.

You always put out good stuff. Thanks Don!

We are very glad to have someone like you who can provide us with something of help like that Don. I and my friends of AYDO wish you joy and happy new year.

Thanks, Don.

This is a great business model.

This is a route to success and you’ve made it simple to follow… it just requires people to go and “Do it” – that’s all…

As a business success consultant, I work with businesses and individuals to help them focus on what it is they truly desire and then help them devise strategies to go and get them. As you know it begins with your thoughts, your attitude, your actions and these bring results. If you like them, do more actions. If you don’t, think different thoughts and then apply new actions.

Your model Don will help people a lot. This is the best freebie I’ve seen in a long time!

Huge thanks and best wishes

Thanks, Don, I’ll be working on my template right away. Very nice the way all the objectives are tied to specific completion dates. A goal without a completion date is just a daydream. Thanks again.

You are such a gift to me Don! I am building my business and it seems every time I need something, you psychically produce it. I am new to ownership of a business, so knowing how to plan is not a skill that I developed over the years. This is so helpful, and with your added suggestions on how and what to use this strategy plan template on, it dawned on me that this would be perfect to offer to my readers to plan out their healing journey through post traumatic stress disorder. I would like to do a post with a permanent link to this article, if that’s cool with you? The timing is excellent with the stresses of the holiday season here that I am certainly feeling the effects of, so others on the same path would benefit from using your template as I plan to, or in what ever way they can imagine. What an awesome gift, and the template’s a great bonus too! 😀 Happy Holidays to you and your family

Anybody is welcome to post a link to this, to blog about it, put it in your newsletters, etc.

Glad to be of help.

So what do you need next, so I can make sure I produce it? :<) Don

Thanks Don. Perfect timing for what I need to do to get in position for 2011. Happy Holidays.

Thanks, Don uplifting, inspiring and positive as always. Christian The Tennis Emporium

AWESOME!!! This will really help both me and my outsource team get on track for the new year!! Thank you very much!!

Yes, this should be a product.. you’re a good JW student!!

Very helpful..just in time for planning out my business for next year. Now I just need someone to kick me once in a while to stay on track and get it all done.

This is a great template Don. Will be using it…. you never cease to deliver pure and relevant content. Thanks much.

This is just what I needed I feel like I have bee running round like a headless chicken for the past week and I need to sort out a plan, Thanks again and have a good chritsmas.

Thanks, Don! Perfect timing for me and I’m off to spread the word! All the best for 2011 to you and yours.

Don, your brillliant. Please contact me. I’d love to sugget you as a guest on our live show. http://www.successcoachceo.com/juileejisellestjohnandco click SuccessTV Live Show and you can see the last one we did with a former executive from B of A.

Your amazing.

Julie Parker CEO4Life

Don, your strategy plan post has a right timing & it has really guided me. God bless you, your family & business. Keep the good work & happy christmas holiday

Thanks Don for this very useful template and well-prepared video. I surely gained a lot from this post in my preparation for the coming new year.

I had started a spreadsheet for this exact exercise next week but you have included so much more. Thank you for sharing. Am spreading this through my Social Networks now and will give you my feedback in the New Year once I’ve gone through the process.

Happy Holidays to you and your family.

Cheers – Zoe deLuca

May the Good Lord bless and be with you now and always.

It is simple, straight forward and came at the right time.

Kind of glued everything else together for me…

Now I just got it

Thanks a million times.

Thanks Don, it’s simple and useful. I will try it , wish you merry christmas and happy new year!

Don, this is great! I have been spending much of December writing up my strategic plan for next year and this will really help direct me. Thank you! -Norene

Don, Thanks for sharing this. I do my strategic planning this time of year as well.

Right on! It’s been my experience with my own clients that lack of thinking through the direction of your business and what it will take to get where you want to go causes many more problems that businesses ever tend to consider. Without doing this a business tends to go where the wind blows it and more often than not doesn’t end up any place good. It’s also helpful to consider carefully first what the main focus of your business is, for example, whether or not your competitive advantage and positioning are driven by a relationship with one very specific market whose needs you strive to meet or whether your advantage is primarily based on a product with broad appeal to multiple markets and you focus on improving the aspects of your product or service that make it attractive in that way. At the end of the day, as you pointed out, some quality time spent in thinking and planning pays off many times over. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this as well as a model so businesses can get on this right away.

Thanks for the thoughtfulness in sharing the idea and your toolset. Liked and Tweeted because it is good and will help action takers advance.

Thanks Don, this looks very useful and usable. What I find difficult is not putting in the numbers, but making them happen since I can control what I do, but not how people respond.

Hi Don, Thanks for the great video and template! You gave me a place to start with my strategic plan. It’s easier to do now with the examples that you have shown. Thanks again!

Thank you for the perfect holiday gift! A great tool to help me (and others) use the next 2 weeks to reflect and plan for a successful 2011!

Thanks Don, 2 page makes it simple and powerful!!

Good timing! As I think about 2011s strategic plan, I come across your template hmm..interesting.. I do believe I will share this with my readers. Thanks Don!

Very timely and accurate, Don. I own and operate multiple businesses so having a consistent model is crucial to my time allocation to each venture. Best of luck in the new year.

Don, perfect timing!!! My goal between now and January 1st was to map out my strategic plan like I do every year. This template you have provided really keeps the plan focused on the most important elements. You rock!

I want to get sample file. Where can I get the file?

It’s included in the zip file so that you would only have to download one file.

We are a small grassroot organization thankful for giving people such as yourself. Thank youfor sharing and for your thoughtfulness.

Want to know the exact tools and technology I personally use and recommend?

  • Business strategy |
  • What is strategic planning? A 5-step gu ...

What is strategic planning? A 5-step guide

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Strategic planning is a process through which business leaders map out their vision for their organization’s growth and how they’re going to get there. In this article, we'll guide you through the strategic planning process, including why it's important, the benefits and best practices, and five steps to get you from beginning to end.

Strategic planning is a process through which business leaders map out their vision for their organization’s growth and how they’re going to get there. The strategic planning process informs your organization’s decisions, growth, and goals.

Strategic planning helps you clearly define your company’s long-term objectives—and maps how your short-term goals and work will help you achieve them. This, in turn, gives you a clear sense of where your organization is going and allows you to ensure your teams are working on projects that make the most impact. Think of it this way—if your goals and objectives are your destination on a map, your strategic plan is your navigation system.

In this article, we walk you through the 5-step strategic planning process and show you how to get started developing your own strategic plan.

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What is strategic planning?

Strategic planning is a business process that helps you define and share the direction your company will take in the next three to five years. During the strategic planning process, stakeholders review and define the organization’s mission and goals, conduct competitive assessments, and identify company goals and objectives. The product of the planning cycle is a strategic plan, which is shared throughout the company.

What is a strategic plan?

[inline illustration] Strategic plan elements (infographic)

A strategic plan is the end result of the strategic planning process. At its most basic, it’s a tool used to define your organization’s goals and what actions you’ll take to achieve them.

Typically, your strategic plan should include: 

Your company’s mission statement

Your organizational goals, including your long-term goals and short-term, yearly objectives

Any plan of action, tactics, or approaches you plan to take to meet those goals

What are the benefits of strategic planning?

Strategic planning can help with goal setting and decision-making by allowing you to map out how your company will move toward your organization’s vision and mission statements in the next three to five years. Let’s circle back to our map metaphor. If you think of your company trajectory as a line on a map, a strategic plan can help you better quantify how you’ll get from point A (where you are now) to point B (where you want to be in a few years).

When you create and share a clear strategic plan with your team, you can:

Build a strong organizational culture by clearly defining and aligning on your organization’s mission, vision, and goals.

Align everyone around a shared purpose and ensure all departments and teams are working toward a common objective.

Proactively set objectives to help you get where you want to go and achieve desired outcomes.

Promote a long-term vision for your company rather than focusing primarily on short-term gains.

Ensure resources are allocated around the most high-impact priorities.

Define long-term goals and set shorter-term goals to support them.

Assess your current situation and identify any opportunities—or threats—allowing your organization to mitigate potential risks.

Create a proactive business culture that enables your organization to respond more swiftly to emerging market changes and opportunities.

What are the 5 steps in strategic planning?

The strategic planning process involves a structured methodology that guides the organization from vision to implementation. The strategic planning process starts with assembling a small, dedicated team of key strategic planners—typically five to 10 members—who will form the strategic planning, or management, committee. This team is responsible for gathering crucial information, guiding the development of the plan, and overseeing strategy execution.

Once you’ve established your management committee, you can get to work on the planning process. 

Step 1: Assess your current business strategy and business environment

Before you can define where you’re going, you first need to define where you are. Understanding the external environment, including market trends and competitive landscape, is crucial in the initial assessment phase of strategic planning.

To do this, your management committee should collect a variety of information from additional stakeholders, like employees and customers. In particular, plan to gather:

Relevant industry and market data to inform any market opportunities, as well as any potential upcoming threats in the near future.

Customer insights to understand what your customers want from your company—like product improvements or additional services.

Employee feedback that needs to be addressed—whether about the product, business practices, or the day-to-day company culture.

Consider different types of strategic planning tools and analytical techniques to gather this information, such as:

A balanced scorecard to help you evaluate four major elements of a business: learning and growth, business processes, customer satisfaction, and financial performance.

A SWOT analysis to help you assess both current and future potential for the business (you’ll return to this analysis periodically during the strategic planning process). 

To fill out each letter in the SWOT acronym, your management committee will answer a series of questions:

What does your organization currently do well?

What separates you from your competitors?

What are your most valuable internal resources?

What tangible assets do you have?

What is your biggest strength? 

Weaknesses:

What does your organization do poorly?

What do you currently lack (whether that’s a product, resource, or process)?

What do your competitors do better than you?

What, if any, limitations are holding your organization back?

What processes or products need improvement? 

Opportunities:

What opportunities does your organization have?

How can you leverage your unique company strengths?

Are there any trends that you can take advantage of?

How can you capitalize on marketing or press opportunities?

Is there an emerging need for your product or service? 

What emerging competitors should you keep an eye on?

Are there any weaknesses that expose your organization to risk?

Have you or could you experience negative press that could reduce market share?

Is there a chance of changing customer attitudes towards your company? 

Step 2: Identify your company’s goals and objectives

To begin strategy development, take into account your current position, which is where you are now. Then, draw inspiration from your vision, mission, and current position to identify and define your goals—these are your final destination. 

To develop your strategy, you’re essentially pulling out your compass and asking, “Where are we going next?” “What’s the ideal future state of this company?” This can help you figure out which path you need to take to get there.

During this phase of the planning process, take inspiration from important company documents, such as:

Your mission statement, to understand how you can continue moving towards your organization’s core purpose.

Your vision statement, to clarify how your strategic plan fits into your long-term vision.

Your company values, to guide you towards what matters most towards your company.

Your competitive advantages, to understand what unique benefit you offer to the market.

Your long-term goals, to track where you want to be in five or 10 years.

Your financial forecast and projection, to understand where you expect your financials to be in the next three years, what your expected cash flow is, and what new opportunities you will likely be able to invest in.

Step 3: Develop your strategic plan and determine performance metrics

Now that you understand where you are and where you want to go, it’s time to put pen to paper. Take your current business position and strategy into account, as well as your organization’s goals and objectives, and build out a strategic plan for the next three to five years. Keep in mind that even though you’re creating a long-term plan, parts of your plan should be created or revisited as the quarters and years go on.

As you build your strategic plan, you should define:

Company priorities for the next three to five years, based on your SWOT analysis and strategy.

Yearly objectives for the first year. You don’t need to define your objectives for every year of the strategic plan. As the years go on, create new yearly objectives that connect back to your overall strategic goals . 

Related key results and KPIs. Some of these should be set by the management committee, and some should be set by specific teams that are closer to the work. Make sure your key results and KPIs are measurable and actionable. These KPIs will help you track progress and ensure you’re moving in the right direction.

Budget for the next year or few years. This should be based on your financial forecast as well as your direction. Do you need to spend aggressively to develop your product? Build your team? Make a dent with marketing? Clarify your most important initiatives and how you’ll budget for those.

A high-level project roadmap . A project roadmap is a tool in project management that helps you visualize the timeline of a complex initiative, but you can also create a very high-level project roadmap for your strategic plan. Outline what you expect to be working on in certain quarters or years to make the plan more actionable and understandable.

Step 4: Implement and share your plan

Now it’s time to put your plan into action. Strategy implementation involves clear communication across your entire organization to make sure everyone knows their responsibilities and how to measure the plan’s success. 

Make sure your team (especially senior leadership) has access to the strategic plan, so they can understand how their work contributes to company priorities and the overall strategy map. We recommend sharing your plan in the same tool you use to manage and track work, so you can more easily connect high-level objectives to daily work. If you don’t already, consider using a work management platform .  

A few tips to make sure your plan will be executed without a hitch: 

Communicate clearly to your entire organization throughout the implementation process, to ensure all team members understand the strategic plan and how to implement it effectively. 

Define what “success” looks like by mapping your strategic plan to key performance indicators.

Ensure that the actions outlined in the strategic plan are integrated into the daily operations of the organization, so that every team member's daily activities are aligned with the broader strategic objectives.

Utilize tools and software—like a work management platform—that can aid in implementing and tracking the progress of your plan.

Regularly monitor and share the progress of the strategic plan with the entire organization, to keep everyone informed and reinforce the importance of the plan.

Establish regular check-ins to monitor the progress of your strategic plan and make adjustments as needed. 

Step 5: Revise and restructure as needed

Once you’ve created and implemented your new strategic framework, the final step of the planning process is to monitor and manage your plan.

Remember, your strategic plan isn’t set in stone. You’ll need to revisit and update the plan if your company changes directions or makes new investments. As new market opportunities and threats come up, you’ll likely want to tweak your strategic plan. Make sure to review your plan regularly—meaning quarterly and annually—to ensure it’s still aligned with your organization’s vision and goals.

Keep in mind that your plan won’t last forever, even if you do update it frequently. A successful strategic plan evolves with your company’s long-term goals. When you’ve achieved most of your strategic goals, or if your strategy has evolved significantly since you first made your plan, it might be time to create a new one.

Build a smarter strategic plan with a work management platform

To turn your company strategy into a plan—and ultimately, impact—make sure you’re proactively connecting company objectives to daily work. When you can clarify this connection, you’re giving your team members the context they need to get their best work done. 

A work management platform plays a pivotal role in this process. It acts as a central hub for your strategic plan, ensuring that every task and project is directly tied to your broader company goals. This alignment is crucial for visibility and coordination, allowing team members to see how their individual efforts contribute to the company’s success. 

By leveraging such a platform, you not only streamline workflow and enhance team productivity but also align every action with your strategic objectives—allowing teams to drive greater impact and helping your company move toward goals more effectively. 

Strategic planning FAQs

Still have questions about strategic planning? We have answers.

Why do I need a strategic plan?

A strategic plan is one of many tools you can use to plan and hit your goals. It helps map out strategic objectives and growth metrics that will help your company be successful.

When should I create a strategic plan?

You should aim to create a strategic plan every three to five years, depending on your organization’s growth speed.

Since the point of a strategic plan is to map out your long-term goals and how you’ll get there, you should create a strategic plan when you’ve met most or all of them. You should also create a strategic plan any time you’re going to make a large pivot in your organization’s mission or enter new markets. 

What is a strategic planning template?

A strategic planning template is a tool organizations can use to map out their strategic plan and track progress. Typically, a strategic planning template houses all the components needed to build out a strategic plan, including your company’s vision and mission statements, information from any competitive analyses or SWOT assessments, and relevant KPIs.

What’s the difference between a strategic plan vs. business plan?

A business plan can help you document your strategy as you’re getting started so every team member is on the same page about your core business priorities and goals. This tool can help you document and share your strategy with key investors or stakeholders as you get your business up and running.

You should create a business plan when you’re: 

Just starting your business

Significantly restructuring your business

If your business is already established, you should create a strategic plan instead of a business plan. Even if you’re working at a relatively young company, your strategic plan can build on your business plan to help you move in the right direction. During the strategic planning process, you’ll draw from a lot of the fundamental business elements you built early on to establish your strategy for the next three to five years.

What’s the difference between a strategic plan vs. mission and vision statements?

Your strategic plan, mission statement, and vision statements are all closely connected. In fact, during the strategic planning process, you will take inspiration from your mission and vision statements in order to build out your strategic plan.

Simply put: 

A mission statement summarizes your company’s purpose.

A vision statement broadly explains how you’ll reach your company’s purpose.

A strategic plan pulls in inspiration from your mission and vision statements and outlines what actions you’re going to take to move in the right direction. 

For example, if your company produces pet safety equipment, here’s how your mission statement, vision statement, and strategic plan might shake out:

Mission statement: “To ensure the safety of the world’s animals.” 

Vision statement: “To create pet safety and tracking products that are effortless to use.” 

Your strategic plan would outline the steps you’re going to take in the next few years to bring your company closer to your mission and vision. For example, you develop a new pet tracking smart collar or improve the microchipping experience for pet owners. 

What’s the difference between a strategic plan vs. company objectives?

Company objectives are broad goals. You should set these on a yearly or quarterly basis (if your organization moves quickly). These objectives give your team a clear sense of what you intend to accomplish for a set period of time. 

Your strategic plan is more forward-thinking than your company goals, and it should cover more than one year of work. Think of it this way: your company objectives will move the needle towards your overall strategy—but your strategic plan should be bigger than company objectives because it spans multiple years.

What’s the difference between a strategic plan vs. a business case?

A business case is a document to help you pitch a significant investment or initiative for your company. When you create a business case, you’re outlining why this investment is a good idea, and how this large-scale project will positively impact the business. 

You might end up building business cases for things on your strategic plan’s roadmap—but your strategic plan should be bigger than that. This tool should encompass multiple years of your roadmap, across your entire company—not just one initiative.

What’s the difference between a strategic plan vs. a project plan?

A strategic plan is a company-wide, multi-year plan of what you want to accomplish in the next three to five years and how you plan to accomplish that. A project plan, on the other hand, outlines how you’re going to accomplish a specific project. This project could be one of many initiatives that contribute to a specific company objective which, in turn, is one of many objectives that contribute to your strategic plan. 

What’s the difference between strategic management vs. strategic planning?

A strategic plan is a tool to define where your organization wants to go and what actions you need to take to achieve those goals. Strategic planning is the process of creating a plan in order to hit your strategic objectives.

Strategic management includes the strategic planning process, but also goes beyond it. In addition to planning how you will achieve your big-picture goals, strategic management also helps you organize your resources and figure out the best action plans for success. 

Career Advice

Nov 01, 2022

Your Two-Page Strategic Plan for Personal and Professional Success

We all want to succeed, both personally and professionally. However, success takes time and effort. What is the smartest step toward achieving your goals? Implementing a solid strategy that paves the way to reaching them: a plan for personal and professional success.

Formulating and monitoring a balanced, strategic plan can be overwhelming, and you might wonder how to get started. We know this can be daunting, and so we’ve created a two-page strategic business plan template to help you reach success, whether that’s starting your own business , working for a business you admire, or getting a promotion at your current company.

This interactive PDF is inspired by world-renowned entrepreneur Verne Harnish’s One-Page Strategic Plan. You can use it to:

  • Solidify your most important core values, both personally and professionally
  • Identify your strengths and weaknesses
  • Define your BHAG® – or ‘big hairy audacious goal’ for the future
  • Break that BHAG® down into five-year, one-year, and quarterly priorities
  • Decide on your personal and professional accountability partners – the people who’ll help keep you on track as you progress

Download your two-page strategic plan template for greatness by clicking on the graphic below and get ready to achieve your aspirations with renewed focus.

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STRATEGIC PLAN TEMPLATE

Stratechi's Strategic Plan & Company Overview Template has 121 slides to give you a jumpstart on your strategy presentation.  Developed by a McKinsey alum and the creator of Stratechi.com , clients use the PowerPoint template and slides for their strategic plan, company overview, pitch deck, and strategy presentations. It contains snapshots, frameworks, analyses, initiatives, McKinsey-style charts , editable slides, and professional graphics and icons covering company overview, history, mission , vision, values , market analysis , customer segments, financials, value proposition , product, services, go-to-market, sales, marketing , org design , HR, and IT.

Download this template now to save time making slides and get a headstart on your strategic plan, company overview, pitch deck, or strategy presentation. Look below to see all of the slides included in this instant download. It has many great ideas, slides, and templates; you can choose which ones will help with your presentation.

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STRATEGIC PLAN & COMPANY OVERVIEW TEMPLATE TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Strategic Plan Title Page 2. Table of Contents 3. Company Overview 4. Vision & Mission Statements 5. Company Values Example 6. Company History Example 7. Leadership Team Example 8. Company Timeline 9. Fundraising History & Board 10. Value Proposition 11. Value Proposition Example 12. Features & Benefits Example 13. Tiered Pricing Chart 14. Competitive Product Comparison 15. Product Feature Ranking 16. Customer Reviews Template 17. Financials & Metrics 18. Company Top-level Metrics 19. Company Dashboard Example 20. Sales Growth Chart Example 21. Core Metrics Chart 22. Global Map Sales Template 23. Income Statement Excel  24. Budget Excel Template 25. Budget Variance Template 26. Balance Sheet Excel Template 27. Company Vision 28. Business Model Strategy  29. Company Vision Template 30. Target Market & Customers 31. Value Proposition Vision

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94. People Icons 95. Ideas Icons 96. Time & Place Icons 97. Chart Icons 98. Project & Process Icons 99. Prioritization Matrix 100. BCG Growth Matrix 101. BCG Growth Matrix Template 102. PESTLE Analysis 103. PESTLE Analysis Topics 104. 3 Horizons of Growth 105. Org Strategy Framework 106. Strategic Plan Framework 107. 4-box Framework Example 108. Competitive Profile Example 109. Market Share Example 110. Customer Survey Pie Chart 111. Market Share Line Chart 112. Market Share Stacked Chart 113. Customer Channel Bar Chart 114. KPI Variance Example 115. US Map Template 116. Global Map Template 117. Teamwork Royalty-Free Pics 118. Office Royalty–Free Pictures 119. Design Royalty-Free Pictures 120. Strategy Royalty-Free Pictures 121. Planning Royalty-Free Pictures

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Refine your machine, plot a map for the road ahead, and see how far you can go with collaboration at the heart of your strategy—with FigJam’s free strategic planning examples.

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Come together with your team to explore a strategic planning template designed to grow with you.

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What is strategic planning?

Strategic planning is about outlining the pathways to success and determining what short or long term goals to aim for. A planning initiative may cover large topics like general mission statements, institutional goals, a new vision statement, and company-wide pivots. But strategic plans can also delve into the nitty-gritty, plotting out a singular aspect of a business or project.

Strategic planning steps include developing a position, prioritizing goals and roles, managing the execution of the plan, and reviewing the strategy post-facto. Click here if you want to learn more about the strategic planning process.

Why is the strategic planning process important?

It’s hard to find success if you don’t know what it looks like. Strategic planning frameworks allow organizations to understand and communicate precisely what they’re looking for. When bogged down in daily operations and looking toward the future, it’s helpful to refer to your fleshed-out strategic business plan template for clarity and perspective. Help teams stay focused on the overall goal, and assess timelines, financial projections, and action items as needed.

What is the purpose of strategic planning?

Strategic planning tools invite team members and stakeholders to exchange ideas freely and get organized around a unified vision for their business objectives.

With FigJam’s free strategic planning examples and templates, it’s easy to discover a shared business strategy and goals, visualize processes and outcomes, and tap into essential documentation. On our shared canvas, you can activate—and iterate—a strategic action plan that keeps your org motivated, efficient, and competitive within your market. Download the strategic action plan template to take your next step.

What's the best way to use this strategic plan template?

A strategic plan template provides a roadmap for team members to get from point A to point B. Use this template to identify a clear path forward, while keeping your brand's core values front and center. Follow these steps to use this template:

  • Kickoff the strategic planning process by determining your team's vision statement.
  • Add in your core values - this is the “why” that fuels your vision.
  • Include key focus areas - what areas will need additional support and investment to support the overall vision statement? Consider conducting a competitive analysis or SWOT analysis to help inform your focus areas.
  • Insert strategic goals that are clear, actionable, and measurable. These goals should align with the focus areas outlined above. Ensure goals have associated key performance indicators (KPIs) and deadlines.

Finalize the plan with action items for achieving your goals.

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Put your ideas to work with simple templates for every business plan

Every successful business took a lot of planning to get there, and these templates will be cornerstones of your future success. Whether you're looking to attract new business, pitch your services or reimagine your company, with these simple, customizable templates at your fingertips you can turn complexity into something tangible. These templates can become marketing assets or simply remain internal touchpoints for your team. And as your dreams change, you'll always have this template to refer to – it's easy to change what exists on paper. If you're a small business, focusing on your niche can help you dominate in your field, and you can forge a plan to figure out exactly what that niche might be and how to target your ideal customer . When it's time to share your vision with stakeholders, craft a presentation that outlines your plan succinctly and with style. Let these templates from Microsoft Designer be your partner in business strategy for years to come.

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    Get free Smartsheet templates By Joe Weller | April 12, 2019 (updated January 31, 2024) Writing a strategic plan can be daunting, as the process includes many steps. In this article, you'll learn the basics of writing a strategic plan, what to include, common challenges, and more.

  6. Strategic Plan Template for Word (Free Download)

    Get your free Strategic Plan Template Use this free Strategic Plan Template for Word to manage your projects better. Download Word File When a company wants to map out its long-term business objectives and how it'll get there, they use a strategic plan.

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    A strategic planning template takes the guesswork out of strategy. Once it's created, you know exactly what you need to do—down to the smallest tasks—to hit your loftiest strategic goals . 1. Create a mission and vision statement. The mission is your overarching company purpose and the reason your product or service exists.

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    A tool to build and download your strategic plan. 1. Enter Your Plan Elements. Add your existing elements into the template. 2. Finish Your Plan. Expert suggestions and guides help you complete your plan. 3. Export Your One-Page Plan.

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    How to use the strategic plan template. Step 1. Lead with an executive summary. Kick off your meeting the right way with an executive summary. You need to provide context by explaining the data and decisions that guide your strategy. This helps executive leadership, teammates, and stakeholders understand and adopt your plan.

  12. 18 FREE Strategic Plan Templates and Examples (Word

    Business 18 FREE Strategic Plan Templates and Examples (Word | PDF) It is not easy to achieve your goals without a plan. Right from your home, and that entails everything you do to your career. For everything to be successful, you need a strategic plan.

  13. 20 Free Strategic Plan Templates (Excel & Cascade) 2024

    A strategic plan template is a tool that helps leaders translate business strategies into actionable steps with a clear roadmap, projects, deliverables, budgets, and owners. It provides a decision-making framework and ensures that all initiatives and resources within an organization align with the overall business strategy.

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    To help you succeed, use this proven strategic plan template, and the information below details the 13 key sections you must include in your strategic plan. Section 1: Executive Summary.

  15. Strategy on a Page for Strategy

    Don't complete your 2020 strategic plan without thisone-page template. Use this Strategy on a Page template to: Build a successful strategic plan. Put your strategy onto one page. Communicate your strategy with precision and clarity. Secure buy-in from business partners.

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    You need a strategy framework, but building one from scratch can take time and resources you don't have. To help you skip the learning curve and start outlining your strategy right away, we created templates for eight of the most popular strategic planning approaches: Balanced Scorecard. Strategy Map. SWOT Analysis.

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    Strategic Plan Template The Two-Page Strategic Plan Template Download this simple, yet powerful 2-page Strategic Plan Template to help you create your own strategic plan. And best of all - it's free! Several years ago, one of my best friends, Jeff Walker, taught me a very important principle.

  18. The Ultimate List of Strategic Planning Templates (2024)

    This is where Visme comes in handy. In this article, we've rounded up 30 strategic planning templates you can use in your business. From strategic business plans to sales, HR, financial and project plans, each template is crafted to help you chart courses that drive long-term business success.

  19. What is strategic planning? A 5-step guide

    How to build an organizational strategy Get our free ebook and learn how to bridge the gap between mission, strategic goals, and work at your organization. Get the ebook What is strategic planning? Strategic planning is a business process that helps you define and share the direction your company will take in the next three to five years.

  20. How to Build a Two-Page Strategic Plan for Success

    Download your two-page strategic plan template for greatness by clicking on the graphic below and get ready to achieve your aspirations with renewed focus. Does your strategy for professional success require you to develop certain skills or update your current knowledge to prepare for the workplace of the future?

  21. Strategic Plan Template by McKinsey Alum

    Stratechi's Strategic Plan & Company Overview Template has 121 slides to give you a jumpstart on your strategy presentation. Developed by a McKinsey alum and the creator of Stratechi.com, clients use the PowerPoint template and slides for their strategic plan, company overview, pitch deck, and strategy presentations.It contains snapshots, frameworks, analyses, initiatives, McKinsey-style ...

  22. Free Strategic Plan Template

    A strategic plan template provides a roadmap for team members to get from point A to point B. Use this template to identify a clear path forward, while keeping your brand's core values front and center. Follow these steps to use this template: Kickoff the strategic planning process by determining your team's vision statement.

  23. Business Plan Design Templates

    Let these templates from Microsoft Designer be your partner in business strategy for years to come. Planning the future for business big and small just got a lot easier with these business plan templates and designs. Customize them for your project of any size.

  24. 2024 Digital Marketing Strategy Guide

    A digital marketing strategy is a plan that gets a product or brand in front of potential customers. The goal could be to grow the brand or hit specific revenue targets. Digital marketing strategy ...

  25. PDF EEOC STRATEGIC PLAN 2022-2026

    Strategic Plan 2022-2026 U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 29 Strategic Plan 2022-2026. Strategy III.B.2: Leverage the use of data, analytics, and information management to support, evaluate, and improve the agency's programs and processes. Strategy III.B.3: Prioritize and actively manage available fiscal resources to best ...