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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. 

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Home » What Is Strategic Planning? (Definition and Examples)

What Is Strategic Planning? (Definition and Examples)

July 1, 2022 max 7min read.

Strategic Planning

This Article Covers :-

What Is Strategic Planning?

What are the elements of strategic planning, why is strategic planning important, what are the examples of strategic planning, definition of strategic planning.

Strategic planning refers to developing specific business plans, putting them into action, and analyzing the results regarding a company’s overarching long-term goals or objectives.

Strategic planning is another buzzword that businesses and startups revolve around. However, most of them are only stuck on strategic thinking.

There’s a difference between strategic thinking and strategic planning . The latter gets things done.

But what is strategic planning, and what does it involve? 

Strategic planning is the process of developing a defined business strategy that helps your company’s direction. 

It involves prioritization , efficient resource capacity planning , the optimization of operations, and the assurance that all employees and stakeholders align towards the same goals. 

It reaffirms a company’s direction and how it will measure its success. 

What Are the Types of Strategic Planning?

There are three main types of strategic planning:

Annual planning

Annual planning is a process that takes place over one year. It involves setting goals and objectives for the year and developing strategies to achieve those goals. 

Annual planning is best suited for stable businesses with a predictable sales cycle.

Rolling planning

Rolling planning involves setting goals and objectives on a rolling basis and developing strategies to achieve those goals. 

Rolling planning is best suited for businesses in a growth phase or an unpredictable sales cycle.

Crisis planning

Crisis planning is a process in response to a specific crisis. 

It involves developing a plan to address the crisis and implementing that plan. 

In addition to these, there are specific strategic planning models that you can adopt while approaching your strategic plan. 

Some of the strategic planning models are as follows: 

SWOT Analysis

The SWOT analysis is a rising model that companies frequently employ at the start of the strategic planning process. 

It highlights the internal and external factors that help or hinder the achievement of a corporate goal.

Strengths – Factors of the company that can assist in achieving the goal.

Weaknesses – Factors of the business that may obstruct the achievement of the goal

Opportunities – External variables that could assist in achieving the goal.

Threats – External variables that may obstruct the achievement of the goal.

SWOT analysis might assist you in figuring out what you’re good at and where you could improve. 

Take a look at our SWOT analysis guide .

PESTLE Analysis

PESTLE divides the business environment into four categories:

Political – Changes in taxation, trading agreements, or grant support for enterprises are examples of political factors.

Economic – Interest rates, inflation, and changes in consumer demand are all economic factors.

Social – Factors such as altering lifestyle patterns or demographic trends

Technological – Emerging technology or equipment that boosts productivity are examples of technological advancements.

Legal – Changes in employment law or the way your industry is controlled are examples of legal changes.

Environmental – Customers, regulators, and employees’ expectations of sustainable development evolve.

Now that you know how to approach your strategic planning process, look at the elements of strategic planning.

There are four essential elements of strategic planning that you must pay attention to. They are as follows:

Your Mission

Strategic planning begins with a mission statement that gives a business a feeling of direction and purpose. 

An organization’s mission statement describes who it is, what it does, and where it wants to go. Mission statements are usually broad but specific. 

A company in the education field, for example, might aim to be the market leader in online virtual instructional tools and services.

Selecting goals is an integral part of strategic planning. Most teams use SMART goals or other objectively quantifiable goals.  

Measurable goals are vital because they allow business leaders to assess how well the company meets its objectives and achieves its overall mission.

You can begin your SMART goal-setting journey by reading our guide on it.

Alignment is a crucial yet often neglected element of strategic planning. Here are some things to keep in mind: 

  • Do your short-term goals align with your long-term goals? 
  • How do you plan on aligning your cross-functional teams ? 
  • How will you manage your stakeholder expectations ? 

Alignment matrix tool in Chisel's Team Radar pillar

You can always get started with your internal team alignment and make your way up. At Chisel , we use the Team Radar feature to grasp which page each team is on. 

The strategic planning process is essential for several reasons. 

It helps you take a step back, assess your business or organization’s current situation, and identify areas that need improvement. 

Furthermore, it gives you a roadmap to follow as you work to achieve your goals.

Good strategic planning will keep you focused and help ensure that you make decisions aligned with your overall goals.

If you’re unsure where to start, there are many product and business strategy templates and tools we discuss in our blogs . 

What Are the Steps in the Strategic Planning Process?

You can carry out strategic planning through the following steps:

Identifying 

The first step in strategic planning is identifying a company’s present strategic position. 

This is where stakeholders examine the organization and its environment using the existing strategic plan, including the mission statement and long-term strategic goals.

Prioritizing

The strategic planners then develop targets and objectives that align with the organization’s mission and goals to help the company achieve them.  

There could be a lot of potential goals; thus, prioritizing the most important, relevant, and immediate ones is crucial.

You may employ any prioritization matrix or establish OKRs in this step.

Developing 

This is the crux of strategic planning, in which stakeholders work together to develop the stages or strategies required to achieve a specified strategic goal. 

This may entail developing short-term tactical business strategies that align with the overall strategy. 

Stakeholders participating in the development use tools like a mind-map to visualize and alter the plan.

Implementing

It’s time to put the strategic plan into action after being prepared. 

To set roles, make investments, alter policies and processes, and develop measurement and reporting, you must communicate well across the business. 

Strategic management and regular strategic reviews are usually part of the implementation process to ensure that objectives stay on track.

As company conditions change and new possibilities arise, you should regularly evaluate and update your strategic planning to alter priorities and reconsider goals. 

Quarterly evaluations of KPIs are possible, as are annual revisions to the strategic plan. 

Stakeholders can review performance against goals using balanced scorecards and other tools.

Now you know the fundamental steps involved in the strategic planning process. However, you can take it one step forward by instilling some best practices.

What Are the Best Practices for Strategic Planning?

A few best practices for strategic planning can help businesses get the most out of this process.

Team Alignment

The first best practice for strategic planning is ensuring that the entire team is involved. 

From the CEO to the entry-level employees, everyone should have a say in the company’s goals and how you can achieve them. This ensures everyone is on the same page and working towards the same objectives.

Using product roadmap software ‘s that align all teams and stakeholders in one place can come in handy.

Chisel's Team Participation tool

Periodic Review

Another best practice for strategic planning is reviewing and adjusting the plan as needed. 

The business landscape is constantly competitive , so it’s essential to ensure that the strategic plan is still relevant and achievable. 

Adjusting the plan as needed will help keep the business on track and ensure that the goals are still realistic.

Transparent Communication

Finally, one of the most essential best practices for strategic planning is communicating the plan to everyone in the company. 

Employees need to know the goals and how they can help achieve them. By communicating the plan clearly, businesses can ensure that everyone is working towards the same objectives.

By following these best practices for strategic planning, businesses can ensure that they get the most out of this essential process.

Some of the most popular companies globally are known for their strategic planning. 

Nike, for example, has a well-defined strategic plan that has helped them become one of the most successful companies in the world. 

Another great example is Google, which has a clear strategic plan that has helped them become a global powerhouse. 

Regarding social media giants, Facebook is one of the top dogs. With over 2.23 billion monthly active users, the platform boasts incredible reach.

Given its size and scope, it’s no surprise that Facebook takes a very strategic approach to its planning. The company has a whole team dedicated to strategic planning and execution.

Well, now you have everything you need. Let’s embark on your strategic planning journey with Chisel’s free-forever all-rounder product management tools ! 

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Strategic committee usually leads the strategic planning. This committee may include stakeholders, corporate executives, product owners and managers , and other strategic consultants.

Goals and objectives are two critical components of strategic planning. Goals are the broad, long-term aspirations that an organization hopes to achieve. Objectives are the specific, measurable steps an organization will take to achieve its goals.

Crafting great product requires great tools. Try Chisel today, it's free forever.

Strategic planning — what it is and how to do it well

Strategic planning guide

It can be difficult to reach your business goals and ambitions, regardless of what preparation you’ve done. But if you have a strategic plan in place, you’ll be more likely to achieve a favorable outcome.

This post will explain the importance of strategic planning, when and how to make a strategic plan, and how to manage it and stay on course. It will allow the audience to move forward with their planning efforts.

Read on to learn:

  • What strategic planning is

Benefits of strategic planning

  • When you should do strategic planning

Steps in strategic planning

  • What strategic management is

Strategic mapping

What is strategic planning.

Strategic planning is the process of defining your business’s direction and outlining a path toward a preferred future. The goal of a strategic plan is to capture an organization’s mission and core principles — to envision the fulfillment of these ideals. Strategic planning is both conceptual and practical, as it presents both high-level goals and specific approaches to achieve them.

A strategic plan needs to answer the following questions:

  • Where are we now?
  • Where are we going?
  • How do we get there?

Strategic planning helps businesses set and maintain a clear vision and ensure they’re moving in the right direction. Once the plan has been put in place, it helps maintain alignment between various stakeholders and teams within your business. This plan can make resource allocation simpler — by determining if certain resources are being used in ways that don’t align with the broader strategic plan.

Running a business without a strategic plan is like planning a vacation with no destination in mind. How will you get there? What do you need to bring with you? The same applies to planning for your business. Strategic planning:

  • Gives a sense of purpose and direction. A strategic plan provides a clear goal and end result so all other business functions can work to get you closer to that outcome. This clarity helps keep employees aligned on their efforts, make better decisions, and work towards a shared goal.
  • Makes you aware of opportunities for success. Tying your plans to strategy helps your organization identify opportunities that you discover along your journey. If you find an opportunity that aligns with your strategy — and desired outcomes — you can more easily adapt to take advantage of the situation.
  • Alerts you to risks to avoid. Part of the strategic planning process is scanning the external environment and competitive landscape, which allows you to identify potential roadblocks you may encounter.
  • Helps you understand what resources you will need. When you have a strategic plan in place, you can more effectively allocate your resources. By aligning resources with strategic goals, businesses can focus on the initiatives, projects, and investments that maximize their ROI.
  • Helps prioritize critical tasks. When deciding which tasks are most important and which can be put on hold, a strategic plan streamlines that decision making. Tasks that don’t contribute to your mission can wait, while mission-critical tasks get prioritized.
  • Fosters teamwork and communication. Without a strategic plan, team members can feel isolated and siloed. However, when that strategic plan is clearly communicated to everyone, your team will feel more connected as they work towards a common goal.
  • Increases motivation. And when your team understands the desired outcomes and bigger goals behind their daily tasks, they’ll be more motivated to do high-quality work in a timely manner.
  • Helps measure and evaluate results. Because you’ve likely identified key performance indicators (KPIs) in your planning process, you’ll have an easier time tracking your progress. When you measure your progress, you can more easily identify areas for improvement and make changes on the fly.

When should you do strategic planning?

When and how often your business does strategic planning depends on the size and stage of your company, the speed of your business, and the scope of the projects you’re working on. Strategic planning should not be a one-time event. It should be an iterative process with continuous monitoring, evaluation, and adjustment.

If you’re a new business, you’ll want to create a business plan first, before you move into strategic planning. Once your business is established you can then set a strategic plan to outline your goals and manage your business’s strategic direction. For planning more short-term projects, use a project plan .

Once you’ve created a strategic plan, you should review it regularly — quarterly and yearly, for example — to make sure it is still aligned with your business’s goals and industry landscape. Generally, you should create a new strategic plan every 3–5 years. However, newer or faster-moving companies may need to create a new strategic plan every 1–2 years. Another scenario when you should rework your strategic plan is when you’re preparing to make a major pivot in your business.

How to write a strategic plan for a project

Learn how to write a strategic plan, why you need to create one, and the topics it should cover.

Steps in strategic planning

While every strategic plan might look a little different depending on the organization, industry, and other context, there is still a general outline of the process that you can follow to get you started.

Before you get started, there are a few preliminary steps you can take to make sure your planning process goes smoothly. You need to decide who is involved in the process and what documentation they’ll need. You’ll also want to revisit your company’s vision and mission statements which define where your business is aiming to go.

These are the steps you can take to create a strategic plan for your business:

1. Identify and assess your current position

To understand where you’re headed, you first need to look at where you are now. I n this stage you should:

  • Collect customer and employee feedback to understand what is working well for you and what could use improvement.
  • Perform a needs assessment or SWOT analysis to understand more about the current state of your business.
  • Assess your available resources so you can understand what you have enough of and what you may need to reach your goals.

2. Set goals

Next, you can set goals that you’d like your business to achieve over the short and long term. It’s important to choose goals that align with your company mission and vision. You can use marketing and sales forecasts to give you an idea of what types of goals are realistic. In this phase you’ll also want to prioritize the goals you set — so you know which to choose if conflicts arise.

When setting goals, remember to set SMART goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound.

3. Develop your plan

In this phase it’s time to put your plan together and map out a project roadmap. This is where your plan becomes clearer both to your planning committee and to your team members who will execute based on the plan.

You want to make sure that your plan is achievable with your current resources — so that you aren’t setting yourself up for failure. You’ll also want to set measurable milestones so you can track your progress along the way. You also need to set KPIs so you have objective numbers to determine if you’re heading in the right direction.

When developing your plan, you should make sure that any short-term action items align with long-term goals. And finally, you’ll need to get approval from leadership and stakeholders.

4. Implement your plan

Now that you’ve created your strategic plan it’s time to act. In fact, the first step of implementation is creating a strategic action plan. Your action plan will outline the specific tactics you’ll use to execute your strategic plan.

In this phase, you’ll also assign tasks to your team members so everyone knows what they are responsible for and what they will be contributing to your mission. It’s important to distribute and communicate your plan across your organization. This helps encourage transparency and will drive buy-in from everyone on your team.

As you are executing on your plan, you should rely on metrics and KPIs to track your performance.

5. Revise your plan as necessary

Next, you’ll want to revise your plan as you encounter roadblocks or market changes. Even the best strategic plans will change as you gather more data or feedback. Using tools — like a project management solution — can help you monitor the progress your team is making. You should schedule periodic evaluations to see which parts of the plan are going well and which need to be revised or reevaluated.

You can conduct reviews on a quarterly basis, so you have information at the end of the year to revise your plan if needed. Even if things are going well, you should make minor adjustments every year to keep your teams aligned and your strategy up to date. Any major revisions you make will require a new planning process — because a major adjustment could derail the rest of your strategic plan.

What is strategic management?

Strategic management is the process of formulating, implementing, and evaluating strategies to achieve the larger goals and objectives of an organization. It can sometimes be used interchangeably with the term strategic planning — but within strategic planning, strategic management means managing the plan being put into action.

Part of strategic management is being adaptive and adjusting to headwinds or organizational changes. You’ll also need to maintain a strong team culture, so your plan stays on track and team members stay engaged.

There are several models that strategic management can follow. Each takes a different approach to the management process, and how it solves problems that may arise.

One of these frameworks is the balanced scorecard method. This method looks at the strategic measures of a business beyond just financial metrics to get a more “balanced” look at performance. The phrase “balanced scorecard” refers to the management report that leaders may use to drive decision making within the business, since this approach looks at more than just numbers, it provides a more wholistic view of a business.

A strategic map is a visual representation of a business’s strategic objectives and their cause-and-effect relationships between each objective. This diagram helps visualize the strategic plan and understand which tasks are dependent on others. This map should be drawn during the development of the strategic plan to get a better understanding of how things should get done and in what order.

Strategic mapping can turn complex strategic plans into easily understandable visual representations. These can be helpful tools for communicating your strategy more clearly to team members and stakeholders within your organization. Strategic maps also help organizations identify success factors, prioritize initiatives, allocate resources, and monitor progress.

A strategic map can be designed in several ways, but needs to address the four main facets of business:

Strategic mapping

  • Financial. This section of the map should identify how the strategy helps meet the financial goals of the business.
  • Customer. This section should address the benefits that the customer will see from the specific strategy.
  • Internal business processes (IBPs). This section shares the benefits of the strategy to the processes of the business and their efficiency.
  • Learning and growth. This section will address how the business’s capabilities and knowledge will improve by using a given strategy.

Getting started with strategic planning

Strategic planning is a helpful tool for aligning everyone in your organization with your objectives and long-term goals. It can also help you gain a better understanding of your place in the market and how you can improve your business outcomes.

When you’re ready to get started, assemble your leadership team, draft your mission and vision statements, and begin by assessing the current state of your business. But you can’t get the most out of your strategic plan without a platform to drive the process forward.

That’s where Adobe Workfront can help. Workfront is an enterprise work management tool that connects work to strategy and drives better collaboration to deliver measurable business outcomes. It integrates people, data, processes, and technology across an organization so you can manage the entire lifecycle of projects from start to finish. By centralizing digital projects, cross-functional teams can connect, collaborate, and execute from anywhere to help them do their best work.

Take a product tour or watch an overview video to see how Workfront can help you execute on your strategic plan to improve your business outcomes.

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How to Set Strategic Planning Goals

Team setting strategic planning goals

  • 29 Oct 2020

In an ever-changing business world, it’s imperative to have strategic goals and a plan to guide organizational efforts. Yet, crafting strategic goals can be a daunting task. How do you decide which goals are vital to your company? Which ones are actionable and measurable? Which goals to prioritize?

To help you answer these questions, here’s a breakdown of what strategic planning is, what characterizes strategic goals, and how to select organizational goals to pursue.

Access your free e-book today.

What Is Strategic Planning?

Strategic planning is the ongoing organizational process of using available knowledge to document a business's intended direction. This process is used to prioritize efforts, effectively allocate resources, align shareholders and employees, and ensure organizational goals are backed by data and sound reasoning.

Research in the Harvard Business Review cautions against getting locked into your strategic plan and forgetting that strategy involves inherent risk and discomfort. A good strategic plan evolves and shifts as opportunities and threats arise.

“Most people think of strategy as an event, but that’s not the way the world works,” says Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen in the online course Disruptive Strategy . “When we run into unanticipated opportunities and threats, we have to respond. Sometimes we respond successfully; sometimes we don’t. But most strategies develop through this process. More often than not, the strategy that leads to success emerges through a process that’s at work 24/7 in almost every industry."

Related: 5 Tips for Formulating a Successful Strategy

4 Characteristics of Strategic Goals

To craft a strategic plan for your organization, you first need to determine the goals you’re trying to reach. Strategic goals are an organization’s measurable objectives that are indicative of its long-term vision.

Here are four characteristics of strategic goals to keep in mind when setting them for your organization.

4 Characteristics of Strategic Goals

1. Purpose-Driven

The starting point for crafting strategic goals is asking yourself what your company’s purpose and values are . What are you striving for, and why is it important to set these objectives? Let the answers to these questions guide the development of your organization’s strategic goals.

“You don’t have to leave your values at the door when you come to work,” says HBS Professor Rebecca Henderson in the online course Sustainable Business Strategy .

Henderson, whose work focuses on reimagining capitalism for a just and sustainable world, also explains that leading with purpose can drive business performance.

“Adopting a purpose will not hurt your performance if you do it authentically and well,” Henderson says in a lecture streamed via Facebook Live . “If you’re able to link your purpose to the strategic vision of the company in a way that really gets people aligned and facing in the right direction, then you have the possibility of outperforming your competitors.”

Related: 5 Examples of Successful Sustainability Initiatives

2. Long-Term and Forward-Focused

While strategic goals are the long-term objectives of your organization, operational goals are the daily milestones that need to be reached to achieve them. When setting strategic goals, think of your company’s values and long-term vision, and ensure you’re not confusing strategic and operational goals.

For instance, your organization’s goal could be to create a new marketing strategy; however, this is an operational goal in service of a long-term vision. The strategic goal, in this case, could be breaking into a new market segment, to which the creation of a new marketing strategy would contribute.

Keep a forward-focused vision to ensure you’re setting challenging objectives that can have a lasting impact on your organization.

3. Actionable

Strong strategic goals are not only long-term and forward-focused—they’re actionable. If there aren’t operational goals that your team can complete to reach the strategic goal, your organization is better off spending time and resources elsewhere.

When formulating strategic goals, think about the operational goals that fall under them. Do they make up an action plan your team can take to achieve your organization’s objective? If so, the goal could be a worthwhile endeavor for your business.

4. Measurable

When crafting strategic goals, it’s important to define how progress and success will be measured.

According to the online course Strategy Execution , an effective tool you can use to create measurable goals is a balanced scorecard —a tool to help you track and measure non-financial variables.

“The balanced scorecard combines the traditional financial perspective with additional perspectives that focus on customers, internal business processes, and learning and development,” says HBS Professor Robert Simons in the online course Strategy Execution . “These additional perspectives help businesses measure all the activities essential to creating value.”

The four perspectives are:

  • Internal business processes
  • Learning and growth

Strategy Map and Balanced Scorecard

The most important element of a balanced scorecard is its alignment with your business strategy.

“Ask yourself,” Simons says, “‘If I picked up a scorecard and examined the measures on it, could I infer what the business's strategy was? If you've designed measures well, the answer should be yes.”

Related: A Manager’s Guide to Successful Strategy Implementation

Strategic Goal Examples

Whatever your business goals and objectives , they must have all four of the characteristics listed above.

For instance, the goal “become a household name” is valid but vague. Consider the intended timeframe to reach this goal and how you’ll operationally define “a household name.” The method of obtaining data must also be taken into account.

An appropriate revision to the original goal could be: “Increase brand recognition by 80 percent among surveyed Americans by 2030.” By setting a more specific goal, you can better equip your organization to reach it and ensure that employees and shareholders have a clear definition of success and how it will be measured.

If your organization is focused on becoming more sustainable and eco-conscious, you may need to assess your strategic goals. For example, you may have a goal of becoming a carbon neutral company, but without defining a realistic timeline and baseline for this initiative, the probability of failure is much higher.

A stronger goal might be: “Implement a comprehensive carbon neutrality strategy by 2030.” From there, you can determine the operational goals that will make this strategic goal possible.

No matter what goal you choose to pursue, it’s important to avoid those that lack clarity, detail, specific targets or timeframes, or clear parameters for success. Without these specific elements in place, you’ll have a difficult time making your goals actionable and measurable.

Prioritizing Strategic Goals

Once you’ve identified several strategic goals, determine which are worth pursuing. This can be a lengthy process, especially if other decision-makers have differing priorities and opinions.

To set the stage, ensure everyone is aware of the purpose behind each strategic goal. This calls back to Henderson’s point that employees’ alignment on purpose can set your organization up to outperform its competitors.

Calculate Anticipated ROI

Next, calculate the estimated return on investment (ROI) of the operational goals tied to each strategic objective. For example, if the strategic goal is “reach carbon-neutral status by 2030,” you need to break that down into actionable sub-tasks—such as “determine how much CO2 our company produces each year” and “craft a marketing and public relations strategy”—and calculate the expected cost and return for each.

Return on Investment equation: net profit divided by cost of investment multiplied by 100

The ROI formula is typically written as:

ROI = (Net Profit / Cost of Investment) x 100

In project management, the formula uses slightly different terms:

ROI = [(Financial Value - Project Cost) / Project Cost] x 100

An estimate can be a valuable piece of information when deciding which goals to pursue. Although not all strategic goals need to yield a high return on investment, it’s in your best interest to calculate each objective's anticipated ROI so you can compare them.

Consider Current Events

Finally, when deciding which strategic goal to prioritize, the importance of the present moment can’t be overlooked. What’s happening in the world that could impact the timeliness of each goal?

For example, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the ever-intensifying climate change crisis have impacted many organizations’ strategic goals in 2020. Often, the goals that are timely and pressing are those that earn priority.

Which HBS Online Strategy Course is Right for You? | Download Your Free Flowchart

Learn to Plan Strategic Goals

As you set and prioritize strategic goals, remember that your strategy should always be evolving. As circumstances and challenges shift, so must your organizational strategy.

If you lead with purpose, a measurable and actionable vision, and an awareness of current events, you can set strategic goals worth striving for.

Do you want to learn more about strategic planning? Explore our online strategy courses and download our free flowchart to determine which is right for you and your goals.

This post was updated on November 16, 2023. It was originally published on October 29, 2020.

what is the definition of a strategic planning

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The 5 steps of the strategic planning process

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Starting a project without a strategy is like trying to bake a cake without a recipe — you might have all the ingredients you need, but without a plan for how to combine them, or a vision for what the finished product will look like, you’re likely to end up with a mess. This is especially true when working with a team — it’s crucial to have a shared plan that can serve as a map on the pathway to success.

Creating a strategic plan not only provides a useful document for the future, but also helps you define what you have right now, and think through and outline all of the steps and considerations you’ll need to succeed.

What is strategic planning?

While there is no single approach to creating a strategic plan, most approaches can be boiled down to five overarching steps:

  • Define your vision
  • Assess where you are
  • Determine your priorities and objectives
  • Define responsibilities
  • Measure and evaluate results

Each step requires close collaboration as you build a shared vision, strategy for implementation, and system for understanding performance.

Related: Learn how to hold an effective strategic planning meeting

Why do I need a strategic plan?

Building a strategic plan is the best way to ensure that your whole team is on the same page, from the initial vision and the metrics for success to evaluating outcomes and adjusting (if necessary) for the future. Even if you’re an expert baker, working with a team to bake a cake means having a collaborative approach and clearly defined steps so that the result reflects the strategic goals you laid out at the beginning.

The benefits of strategic planning also permeate into the general efficiency and productivity of your organization as a whole. They include: 

  • Greater attention to potential biases or flaws, improving decision-making 
  • Clear direction and focus, motivating and engaging employees
  • Better resource management, improving project outcomes 
  • Improved employee performance, increasing profitability
  • Enhanced communication and collaboration, fostering team efficiency 

Next, let’s dive into how to build and structure your strategic plan, complete with templates and assets to help you along the way.

Before you begin: Pick a brainstorming method

There are many brainstorming methods you can use to come up with, outline, and rank your priorities. When it comes to strategy planning, it’s important to get everyone’s thoughts and ideas out before committing to any one strategy. With the right facilitation , brainstorming helps make this process fair and transparent for everyone involved.  

First, decide if you want to run a real-time rapid ideation session or a structured brainstorming . In a rapid ideation session, you encourage sharing half-baked or silly ideas, typically within a set time frame. The key is to just get out all your ideas quickly and then edit the best ones. Examples of rapid ideation methods include round robin , brainwriting , mind mapping , and crazy eights . 

In a structured brainstorming session, you allow for more time to prepare and edit your thoughts before getting together to share and discuss those more polished ideas. This might involve brainstorming methods that entail unconventional ways of thinking, such as reverse brainstorming or rolestorming . 

Using a platform like Mural, you can easily capture and organize your team’s ideas through sticky notes, diagrams, text, or even images and videos. These features allow you to build actionable next steps immediately (and in the same place) through color coding and tagging. 

Whichever method you choose, the ideal outcome is that you avoid groupthink by giving everyone a voice and a say. Once you’ve reached a consensus on your top priorities, add specific objectives tied to each of those priorities.

Related: Brainstorming and ideation template

1. Define your vision

Whether it’s for your business as a whole, or a specific initiative, successful strategic planning involves alignment with a vision for success. You can think of it as a project-specific mission statement or a north star to guide employees toward fulfilling organizational goals. 

To create a vision statement that explicitly states the ideal results of your project or company transformation, follow these four key steps: 

  • Engage and involve the entire team . Inclusivity like this helps bring diverse perspectives to the table. 
  • Align the vision with your core values and purpose . This will make it familiar and easy to follow through. 
  • Stay grounded . The vision should be ambitious enough to motivate and inspire yet grounded enough to be achievable and relevant.
  • Think long-term flexibility . Consider future trends and how your vision can be flexible in the face of challenges or opportunities. 

For example, say your vision is to revolutionize customer success by streamlining and optimizing your process for handling support tickets. It’s important to have a strategy map that allows stakeholders (like the support team, marketing team, and engineering team) to know the overall objective and understand the roles they will play in realizing the goals. 

This can be done in real time or asynchronously , whether in person, hybrid, or remote. By leveraging a shared digital space , everyone has a voice in the process and room to add their thoughts, comments, and feedback. 

Related: Vision board template

2. Assess where you are

The next step in creating a strategic plan is to conduct an assessment of where you stand in terms of your own initiatives, as well as the greater marketplace. Start by conducting a resource assessment. Figure out which financial, human, and/or technological resources you have available and if there are any limitations. You can do this using a SWOT analysis.

What is SWOT analysis?

SWOT analysis is an exercise where you define:

  • Strengths: What are your unique strengths for this initiative or this product? In what ways are you a leader?
  • Weaknesses: What weaknesses can you identify in your offering? How does your product compare to others in the marketplace?
  • Opportunities: Are there areas for improvement that'd help differentiate your business?
  • Threats: Beyond weaknesses, are there existing potential threats to your idea that could limit or prevent its success? How can those be anticipated?

For example, say you have an eco-friendly tech company and your vision is to launch a new service in the next year. Here’s what the SWOT analysis might look like: 

  • Strengths : Strong brand reputation, loyal customer base, and a talented team focused on innovation
  • Weaknesses : Limited bandwidth to work on new projects, which might impact the scope of its strategy formulation 
  • Opportunities : How to leverage and experiment with existing customers when goal-setting
  • Threats : Factors in the external environment out of its control, like the state of the economy and supply chain shortages

This SWOT analysis will guide the company in setting strategic objectives and formulating a robust plan to navigate the challenges it might face. 

Related: SWOT analysis template

3. Determine your priorities and objectives

Once you've identified your organization’s mission and current standing, start a preliminary plan document that outlines your priorities and their corresponding objectives. Priorities and objectives should be set based on what is achievable with your available resources. The SMART framework is a great way to ensure you set effective goals . It looks like this:  

  • Specific: Set clear objectives, leaving no room for ambiguity about the desired outcomes.
  • Measurable : Choose quantifiable criteria to make it easier to track progress.
  • Achievable : Ensure it is realistic and attainable within the constraints of your resources and environment.
  • Relevant : Develop objectives that are relevant to the direction your organization seeks to move.
  • Time-bound : Set a clear timeline for achieving each objective to maintain a sense of urgency and focus.

For instance, going back to the eco-friendly tech company, the SMART goals might be: 

  • Specific : Target residential customers and small businesses to increase the sales of its solar-powered device line by 25%. 
  • Measurable : Track monthly sales and monitor customer feedback and reviews. 
  • Achievable : Allocate more resources to the marketing, sales, and customer service departments. 
  • Relevant : Supports the company's growth goals in a growing market of eco-conscious consumers. 
  • Time-bound : Conduct quarterly reviews and achieve this 25% increase in sales over the next 12 months.

With strategic objectives like this, you’ll be ready to put the work into action. 

Related: Project kickoff template

4. Define tactics and responsibilities

In this stage, individuals or units within your team can get granular about how to achieve your goals and who'll be accountable for each step. For example, the senior leadership team might be in charge of assigning specific tasks to their team members, while human resources works on recruiting new talent. 

It’s important to note that everyone’s responsibilities may shift over time as you launch and gather initial data about your project. For this reason, it’s key to define responsibilities with clear short-term metrics for success. This way, you can make sure that your plan is adaptable to changing circumstances. 

One of the more common ways to define tactics and metrics is to use the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) method. By outlining your OKRs, you’ll know exactly what key performance indicators (KPIs) to track and have a framework for analyzing the results once you begin to accumulate relevant data. 

For instance, if our eco-friendly tech company has a goal of increasing sales, one objective might be to expand market reach for its solar-powered products. The sales team lead would be in charge of developing an outreach strategy. The key result would be to successfully launch its products in two new regions by Q2. The KPI would be a 60% conversation rate in those targeted markets.  

Related: OKR planning template  

5. Manage, measure, and evaluate

Once your plan is set into motion, it’s important to actively manage (and measure) progress. Before launching your plan, settle on a management process that allows you to measure success or failure. In this way, everyone is aligned on progress and can come together to evaluate your strategy execution at regular intervals.

Determine the milestones at which you’ll come together and go over results — this can take place weekly, monthly, or quarterly, depending on the nature of the project.

One of the best ways to evaluate progress is through agile retrospectives (or retros) , which can be done in real time or asynchronously. During this process, gather and organize feedback about the key elements that played a role in your strategy. 

Related: Retrospective radar template

Retrospectives are typically divided into three parts:

  • What went well.
  • What didn’t go well.
  • New opportunities for improvement.

This structure is also sometimes called the “ rose, thorn, bud ” framework. By using this approach, team members can collectively brainstorm and categorize their feedback, making the next steps clear and actionable. Creating an action plan during a post-mortem meeting is a crucial step in ensuring that lessons learned from past projects or events are effectively translated into tangible improvements. 

Another method for reviewing progress is the quarterly business review (QBR). Like the agile retrospective, it allows you to collect feedback and adjust accordingly. In the case of QBRs, however, we recommend dividing your feedback into four categories:

  • Start (what new items should be launched?).
  • Stop (what items need to be paused?).
  • Continue (what is going well?).
  • Change (what could be modified to perform better?).

Strategic planners know that planning activities continue even after a project is complete. There’s always room for improvement and an action plan waiting to be implemented. Using the above approaches, your team can make room for new ideas within the existing strategic framework in order to track better to your long-term goals.

Related: Quarterly business review template

Conclusions

The beauty of the strategic plan is that it can be applied from the campaign level all the way up to organizational vision. Using the strategic planning framework, you build buy-in , trust, and transparency by collaboratively creating a vision for success, and mapping out the steps together on the road to your goals.

Also, in so doing, you build in an ability to adapt effectively on the fly in response to data through measurement and evaluation, making your plan both flexible and resilient.

Related: 5 Tips for Holding Effective Post-mortems

Why Mural for strategic planning

Mural unlocks collaborative strategic planning through a shared digital space with an intuitive interface, a library of pre-fab templates, and methodologies based on design thinking principles.

Outline goals, identify key metrics, and track progress with a platform built for any enterprise.

Learn more about strategic planning with Mural.

About the authors

Bryan Kitch

Bryan Kitch

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Business Jargons

A Business Encyclopedia

Strategic Planning

Definition : Strategic Planning can be understood as a systematic long-range planning activity, that an organization uses to fix priorities, strengthen operations, ascertain objectives and focus on the resources required and are to be allocated in order to pursue the strategy and attain the objectives.

It is a part of the strategic management process , which ensures that every aspect of the organization is working towards the achievement of the organization’s goals, i.e. in the right and intended direction.

Strategic Planning ascertains what an organization is, to whom it serves, where is it going and what are the paths, which are to be followed to follow its vision. It includes strategic decision making, strategic intent , strategic management model and strategy formulation .

Characteristics of Strategic Planning

strategic planning

  • Strategic Planning is an analytical process which formulates strategic and operational plans for the organization. The implementation of strategic plans is possible through projects, whereas various units or divisions of the firm implement operational plans.
  • It performs SWOT Analysis , i.e. during the planning process, the firm’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are taken into consideration.
  • It is a forward-looking activity wherein the future opportunities and threats are ascertained while considering its profitability, market share, product and competition.
  • It presupposes that a firm should always be ready to adapt itself according to the dynamic business environment. For this purpose alternative strategies are developed for different circumstances, i.e. from best to worst, for the future
  • It can be done for the entire organization or to a specific business unit .
  • It is helpful in selecting the best strategy , among the various strategies taking into account the firm’s interest, personal values and corporate social responsibility.
  • It acts as a guide to the executive to reduce the risk involved in the business and also to take the best possible advantage of the opportunities. So, in this way, it contributes to the success of the enterprise.

Strategic Planning is a logical effort, that envisions the desired future, by producing various alternative actions and decisions, to formulate an effective strategy, that brings success to the organisation. It helps in analysing and adjusting the organisation’s efforts as a whole, according to the changing business environment.

Strategic Planning Stages

  • Generation of Strategic Alternatives : In this step, the firm seeks a number of strategic alternatives in the light of the firm’s business, industry and competition. These strategies may be acquisition and expansion, focusing on core competencies, increase in the market share, etc.
  • Will it improve the firm’s position or market share?
  • Will it increase existing strengths?
  • Will it bring new opportunities?
  • Will it maximise shareholder’s wealth?
  • Selection of Strategy : The optimum strategy is selected at this stage, among various alternative strategies.

Both internal and external analysis of the firm is performed during the exercise; wherein internal analysis entails an evaluation of financial performance, operational limitations, current market position/share corporate culture, strengths and weaknesses.

On the other hand, external analysis concentrates on the analysis of competition, trends, changing business environment, opportunities and threats, latest technology and so forth.

Related terms:

  • Strategic Human Resource Management
  • Strategic Human Resource Management Process
  • Strategic Alliance
  • Strategic Intent
  • Strategic Management

Reader Interactions

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FADHILI Y MTONOYA says

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November 25, 2022 at 1:11 pm

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February 14, 2023 at 4:49 am

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Strategic Planning Process Definition, Steps and Examples

Published: 03 January, 2024

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Stefan F.Dieffenbacher

Digital Strategy

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Table of Contents

Organizations use Strategic Planning to gather all their stakeholders to evaluate the collection of current circumstances and decide upon their ongoing goals and benchmarks. They decide upon long-term objectives and establish a vision for the company’s future.

The efforts behind an organization’s Strategic Planning Processes are vital to its success, and yet, while many organizations acknowledge they need to do this kind of planning, they often don’t understand how to make it a reality. In this article, we explain the reasons behind Strategic Planning and how to make your Strategic Planning Process as powerful as possible.

As always, Digital Leadership welcomes the opportunity to partner with you and your business. Our innovation consulting services and digital transformation services assist organizations in navigating the strategic planning process and beyond. By leveraging our collaborative approach, we aim to align your vision with actionable goals. As an initial step to assist businesses in selecting tailored services that align with their specific needs and objectives for innovation, we offer an Innovation Blueprint to evaluate current innovation practices. If you have questions or comments or would like to leverage the experience of one of our global experts, schedule a free consultation by visiting our CONTACT US page today!

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What is a Strategic Plan

Strategic planning is a systematic process wherein the leaders of an organization articulate their vision for the future and delineate the goals and objectives that will guide the trajectory of the organization.

Much more about Strategic planning and how to go through the Strategic planning process and other approaches to  innovation strategy  you will find in our brand-new FREE book  “How to Create Innovation”   Register for the download now !

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What is the Strategic Planning Process

Strategic planning is a process of defining an organization’s direction and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this direction . It involves creating a long-term plan that outlines the organization’s vision, mission, values, and objectives, as well as the strategies and tactics that will be used to achieve them.

Strategy is often misunderstood, which is surprising because fundamentally it’s a pretty basic concept. Strategy is a clearly expressed direction and a verified plan on how to get there. Your Strategic Planning Process formalizes the steps you’ll take to decide on your plan. The Strategic Planning Process facilitates using a Strategic Execution Framework that articulates where you’ll invest in innovation and where you can cut costs.

As far as business development planning is concerned, your Strategic Execution Framework is a vital tool for driving innovation, but first you must define the process you’ll undertake to determine how you and your team see the future of your organization. In this article, we discuss how to create your Strategic Plan and define its relationship to other concepts and documents that direct your business and its activities.

Innovation Strategy Execution Framework

While it’s true that every business is different and must develop their own processes, we believe there are some process  of strategic planning stepsthat benefit all organizations.

Below are our recommendations for the steps to take when undergoing your Strategic Planning Process, along with the questions we suggest you answer during each specific step.

Step One: Analyze your Business Environment

  • Who are your competitors?
  • What relevant market data do you have, and what do you still need?
  • What technology has emerged that impacts your business model?
  • How have customer expectations changed since your last Strategic Plan?
  • What advantages do you have over competitors?
  • Where is your company weaker compared to competitors?
  • What predictable complications are on the horizon?
  • Which unpredictable complications seem most likely or most potentially impactful?

Step Two: Set your Strategic Direction

  • What is your overall Business Purpose ?
  • How have your operations reflected your Purpose and Goals recently?
  • How should your operations reflect your Purpose and Goals?
  • Where do you see your business going in the next year?
  • In two years? In three years?
  • What are the metrics you’ll use to measure success?
  • What are your make-or-break necessities?

Step Three: Set and develop Strategic Goals and Strategic Objectives

  • Have you considered short-, mid-, and long-term business goals , and what are they?
  • How do your Strategic Goals reflect your Mission Statement?
  • How do your Strategic Goals reflect your company values and vision?
  • What daily operations must be completed to work toward your Strategic Objectives?
  • How will you communicate your Strategic Goals and Strategic Objectives?
  • Who is responsible for reporting on success?
  • How will strategic data be collected?

Related: Strategic Goals: Examples, Importance, Definitions and How to Set Them

Step Four: Drill down to Department-Level Objectives

  • What are specific department concerns?
  • How will your budget influence and be influenced by your Strategic Goals and Objectives?
  • Which departments have resources that could be shared to better advantage?
  • What roles do individual departments play in your overall Strategic Goals?
  • What ongoing projects become a priority because of your new Strategic Goals?
  • Are Departmental Objectives complementing each other and the overall Business Model?

Step Five: Manage and Analyze Performance

  • Who is on the Strategic Planning team?
  • Are tasks and job descriptions properly aligned to ensure the right work is getting completed?
  • What is the schedule for the meeting for Strategic Planning?
  • What are your metrics for measuring performance and success?
  • Have you clearly articulated and shared KPIs?
  • Who is responsible for gathering data?
  • How will data be collected?
  • How will data be reported?
  • What’s at stake for strategy success or failure?

Step Six: Review and develop your Strategic Plan

  • How should your Strategic Plan look on paper?
  • What is your Strategy Execution Framework —how will you guarantee the Strategic Plan Team’s decisions are respected and executed?
  • What is the review process?
  • How often do you evaluate your Strategic Plan?
  • How will you communicate your final Strategic Plan?

Strategic Planning Process Examples

1) apple strategic plan process.

  • Vision and Mission: Apple’s strategic planning begins with a clear vision and mission. Apple’s vision is to create innovative products that inspire and enrich people’s lives.
  • Environmental Analysis: Apple conducts thorough environmental analyses, considering technological trends, market demands, and competitive landscapes. This includes staying at the forefront of cutting-edge technologies.
  • SWOT Analysis: Apple evaluates its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. For example, one of Apple’s strengths is its strong brand image, while a weakness might be dependence on a limited product line.
  • Setting business Goals and Objectives: Apple sets specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. This could include objectives like maintaining a certain market share, launching new products, or achieving specific financial targets.
  • Strategies and Tactics: Apple develops strategies based on its goals. For instance, a strategic move might be expanding its ecosystem by integrating hardware, software, and services. Tactics could include aggressive marketing campaigns and product launches.
  • Implementation and Execution: Apple’s strategic plans are meticulously executed. The launch of iconic products like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac series demonstrates effective implementation of their strategies.
  • Monitoring and Adjusting: Apple constantly monitors its performance metrics, customer feedback, and market dynamics. If necessary, adjustments are made to the strategic plan to stay responsive to changing conditions.

2) Tesla Strategic Plan Process

  • Vision and Mission: Tesla’s strategic planning revolves around its mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. The vision includes producing electric vehicles and renewable energy solutions.
  • Market Analysis: Tesla analyzes global markets for electric vehicles, renewable energy, and energy storage. This involves understanding regulatory environments, consumer behaviours, and technological advancements.
  • Risk Assessment: Tesla conducts risk assessments related to manufacturing, supply chain, and market volatility. For instance, it considers risks associated with battery production and global economic conditions.
  • Setting Bold Objectives: Tesla is known for setting ambitious objectives, such as achieving mass-market electric vehicle adoption and establishing a robust network of charging stations worldwide.
  • Innovative Strategies: Tesla’s strategic planning involves innovation in technology and business models . For instance, the “Gigafactories” for mass production of batteries and the “Autopilot” feature in vehicles reflect innovative strategies.
  • Agile Adaptation: Due to the rapidly changing automotive and energy sectors, Tesla maintains an agile approach. The company adapts its plans swiftly to capitalize on emerging opportunities, as seen in the expansion of its energy products.
  • Continuous Improvement: Tesla places emphasis on continuous improvement. The iterative development of electric vehicle models, software updates, and advancements in battery technology showcase a commitment to refinement.

These examples demonstrate how strategic planning is a dynamic and integral part of the business processes of leading companies. They highlight the importance of a well-defined vision, rigorous analysis, adaptability, and innovation in the strategic planning process.

Tactical vs. Strategic Planning Process

An easy way to distinguish your company’s Tactical Planning from your Strategic Planning is to separate your wants from your HOWs.

In your Strategic Planning, you identify what you WANT for the company. These are big-picture dreams (achievable, but big ) that are your definition of success. In your Tactical Planning, you identify the HOW for reaching those dreams, including the smaller necessary steps.

Each kind of planning is vital for securing the organization’s future, but they require different sorts of attention and philosophy, and teams that are good at planning one way may not necessarily be good at the other kind of planning.

Strategic Planning vs. Your Business Purpose

Your Strategic Planning Process will of course be deeply connected to your Business Purpose .

We like to think of Business Purpose in broad terms, choosing especially to think of a business’s role in massive transformation. Embedded within a Business Purpose is the Business Plan that directs operations and how a company delivers value to its customers.

What is the relationship between your Strategic Planning and your Business Purpose ? One feeds into the other. Your Business Purpose must point to a larger impact you’ll have on the people who purchase your goods and services, and your Strategic Planning takes into account how you’ll grow and expand that Purpose as you reach more customers more successfully.

Strategic Planning vs Business Planning

Strategic planning and business planning are two distinct processes that are often used interchangeably, but they have some key differences.

Strategic planning is a top-level process that focuses on determining the direction of an organization over the long term. It involves setting goals, determining the key resources and actions necessary to achieve those goals, and allocating those resources in a way that best serves the organization’s future. The outcome of strategic planning is typically a long-term strategic plan that outlines the organization’s vision, mission, values, and objectives.

Business planning , on the other hand, is a more tactical process that focuses on the implementation of specific initiatives and projects to support the organization’s long-term goals. Business plans typically outline the steps necessary to launch a new product, enter a new market, or achieve a specific objective. They may also include budgets, marketing plans, and other operational details.

In short, strategic planning is about setting the direction for an organization, while business planning is about implementing specific initiatives to support that direction. Both processes are important for the success of an organization and should be used in conjunction to ensure that resources are allocated effectively and that the organization is moving in the right direction.

Why is Strategic Planning Important?

Imagine this scenario: A warehouse full of goods sits, unsold and unmoved. A collection of brilliant people languishes at desks all day. Outside, the world spins and changes. It’s ready for what these people could do, can do, and yet nothing happens. Needs remain unmet. Progress is halted. Everyday life takes several backwards steps. This is what your business will look like without proper Strategic Planning.

Strategic Planning forces you to consider your Strategic Objectives and critically compare them to the resources you have available. As you continuously evaluate the circumstances of your business and your customers, your Strategic Plan evolves to match your goals and business capabilities.

The process involved pushes decision-makers to practice Strategic Thinking . It limits wasteful spending, especially when upper-level managers are willing to forgo pet projects in favor of operations with a broader use and appeal.

Strategic Planning is important because it directs your resources to efficiently meet your overall Business Goals . Without Strategic Planning, you are likely to waste resources, make conflicting decisions, or fail to grow your business to its greatest potential.

When Do You Create a Strategic Plan?

Most businesses find value in reviewing their Strategic Plan every three years. This allows enough time to pass that you can evaluate the success of previous plans, reflect on the achievement of your Strategic Goals, consider developments outside your organization that affect your business, and begin formulating new goals that will become the next version of your plans.

When businesses first begin, they often have too many fires burning at once. They remain focused on existing today rather than planning for tomorrow. Most entrepreneurs remember those stressful early days of starting their businesses and can understand why formalities like Strategic Plans can fall by the wayside. We believe if your business lasts longer than a year it’s important to develop a plan for the future. Think of Strategic Planning as a celebration of a first anniversary—a sign that you’re poised to continue moving forward for years to come.

However, Strategic Planning is not a one-off event that is over once the cookies are all gone and the room clears. Your Strategic Planning team should meet regularly to measure how effective the plans are at helping you reach your Strategic Goals . Ad hoc subcommittees can play a role in gathering evidence to ensure that your plans remain appropriate, especially if conditions change.

For example, we recommended a close review of Strategic Plans and Strategic Goals once the COVID-19 pandemic made it clear that business was going to be affected at least short- to mid-term. We continue to recommend teams regularly revisit their Strategic Plans with global circumstances in mind to recognize opportunities and prepare for challenges.

The Benefits of Strategic Planning

As we’ve mentioned, there are many benefits of Strategic Planning . Some of those benefits include:

  • Shared sense of power and importance
  • United direction
  • Clear path and purpose for decision-making and operations
  • Boosted operational effectiveness
  • Responsible, efficient use of available resources
  • Meaningful work done on a daily basis
  • Tracking of progress
  • Ability to adjust to changing circumstances

What is a business without Strategic Planning? In most cases, it’s not much, nor is it long for the world. While it’s possible to accidentally find success without much planning, most successful businesses are a result of careful thought mixed with the urge to pounce on the opportunity.

What prepares you to pounce?

Your Strategic Planning and the processes that make it possible.

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  • What is Strategic Planning?

A strategic planning framework is essential in any industry. For example, strategic planning in healthcare is essential to improving patient care quality.

That said, what is strategic planning? Simply put, strategic planning is the business practice of creating a long-term plan that will achieve an ideal set of goals for a profit-making organization. This is the most commonly accepted strategic planning definition.

Benefits of Strategic Planning

Asking “what is strategic planning?” and “what is the strategic planning process?” helps answer essential questions about your organization. Moreover, strategic planning allows you to have a defined roadmap towards a clear set of goals.

Strategic Planning Misconceptions

“I already have a business plan!"

Strategic plans are not business plans. Instead, a business plan is a medium-term executional business document. Business plans at their longest only span 1 year and include action items that are executed in the course of business quarters. Strategic plans are far longer in scope (up to 15 years).

“Strategic plans are only for large businesses.”

Strategic plans are for every business, including small ones. In the beginning, the strategic plan will focus on research and high-level discussions. As your business progresses this will be replaced by a long-term analysis of business outcomes.

“Strategic plans are only needed once.”

This is absolutely not true. Strategic plans should be updated every two to three years, incorporating new learnings and the results of business actions as part of the analysis.

What Makes Strategic Planning Successful?

Several factors go into creating a successful business strategic plan. These include:

Collaboration and inclusion in the process

The strategic plan and roadmap should include all levels of management, all employees, and outside stakeholders in a planned manner.

Data, not feelings

Topics and decisions must be based on objective, verified data, gathered from inside and outside the organization.

Everyone involved owns the process (shared responsibility and expectations)

When the strategic plan is created, everyone involved should be held responsible for the accuracy and thoroughness of their own piece and held to the same overall timeline and schedules.

Transparency in communications

This is the other side of the shared responsibility point. Everyone involved must be honest in their opinion and share all data requested.

Looking beyond the strategic business plan

Implementation of a strategic plan is an ongoing process, and ideally, the strategic plan should be renewed once every two to three years.

Buy-in from management

All of this is meaningless if management does not set aside a budget and does not commit to the changes set forth in the strategic plan.

what is the definition of a strategic planning

Where do Strategic Plans Go Wrong?

What is strategic planning failure?

Generally, not following through on the above points will cause a strategic plan to go awry. Inaction on behalf of the C-suite and lack of buy-in can stall a strategic plan.

The strategic planning process explained

Here are five steps that can help you outline your strategic planning process:

Determine your vision and mission

Gather information

Perform a gap analysis

Determine goals, create a strategic plan template, and map

Monitor progress and refresh

A Strategic Plan Example

This is, of course, an outline. But a strategic plan may look like this:

Dynamo Toys, a company specializing in classic robot toys and figurines, is losing sales over each quarter. Management has decided that it’s time to create a strategic plan for the next 10 years.

This plan includes:

An overview of Dynamo Toy’s vision and mission statements, which include making the most fun toys for children and collectors of the giant robot genre.

A strategic overview of the market (which includes demographic information for Dynamo Toys and its market segments), a SWOT analysis, and a large scale overview of current economic conditions and suppliers.

A gap analysis, which identifies the gaps between where Dynamo is currently and where it wants to be.

Finally, a strategic map, which illustrates how Dynamo will shift from its current position to its defined goals. This includes the various long-term tactics and plans that will be employed. In the case of Dynamo, it talks about how to market to new segments and to strengthen old ones, how to counter competitor moves, what media franchising partnerships to pursue, and how to market to a new generation of kids who have grown up on mobile. This will be included in the entire strategic plan. The steps detailed will be conducted in accordance with Dynamo’s vision and mission statements.

Strategic Planning for Higher Education

Colleges and universities regularly create strategic plans to keep pace with student, market, and economic demands. Strategic planning in higher education is a multi-faceted process where institutional leaders and representatives gather together and visualize a better future for their college or university.

Some institutions us a strategic planning template or framework created in a spreadsheet, however, these strategic plan templates are often difficult to adapt to changing conditions or scenarios.

Synario offers a dynamic solution to the higher education strategic planning challenge. Synario offers financial modeling intelligence that enables higher education finance leaders to create agile strategic plans, making it the go-to strategic planning software for higher education.

To learn more about how Synario helps colleges and universities across the U.S build, analyze, and present their strategic plans, check out this page on  Strategic Planning in Higher Education.

Synario Can Help You with Strategic Planning

Synario’s suite of intelligent  financial modeling software  can help you craft a strategic plan that can help your company navigate the shifting seas of business. We’d love to discuss challenges involved in strategic planning and actionable solutions.  Contact us  today to learn more.

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What Is Strategic Planning: Definition and Process

FEB.19, 2024

Strategic Planning

What Is Strategic Planning in Business?

Strategic planning in business is a way of making a path for your company’s future. It assists in determining goals, creating tactics, measuring progress and making adjustments.This process is vital because it gives you a clear direction and helps an organization use its resources effectively.

Operational and strategic planning services enables an organization to:

  • Understand its customers’ needs and expectations
  • Identify its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis)
  • Assess its core competencies and distinctive capabilities
  • Define its value proposition and differentiation strategy
  • Select its target markets and segments
  • Develop its product/service portfolio and pricing strategy
  • Establish its distribution channels and promotional strategy
  • Align its organizational structure, culture, and processes with its strategy
  • Implement, monitor, and control its strategic initiatives

The Strategic Planning Process: A Step-by-Step Guide

The organizational strategic planning process requires considerable thought by the company’s upper-level management. The process is different for different organizations, depending on how big, what kind, and how complex they are, but it usually has these steps:

What Is the First Step in the Strategic Planning Process?

Establishing the Scope and Purpose is the first step. This means you need to state what the organization wants to be in the future (vision), why it exists (mission), what it stands for (values), and what it wants to accomplish (objectives). You also need to specify how long it will last and what it will cover (time frame and scope).

What Is the Second Step in the Strategic Planning Process?

Conducting a Situational Analysis is the second step. Collect and analyze relevant data and information about the organization’s internal and external environment. A common tool for this step is the SWOT analysis, which identifies the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

What Is the Third Step in the Strategic Planning Process?

Identifying the Strategic Issues, Goals, and Objectives is the third step. Prioritize the most critical and urgent issues and challenges the organization faces and set the long-term and short-term goals and objectives that address them. The goals and objectives should be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

What Is the Fourth Step in the Strategic Planning Process?

Formulating the Strategies, Tactics, and Action Roadmaps is the fourth step. Develop and select the best courses of action that will help the organization achieve its goals and objectives. The strategies are the general approaches and directions, the tactics are the specific methods and techniques, and the action roadmaps are the detailed steps and tasks, along with the responsibilities, resources, timelines, and indicators of success.

What Is the Fifth Step in the Strategic Planning Process?

Implementing, Monitoring, and Evaluating is the fifth step. Execute the actions, track the progress and performance, and measure the results and outcomes. The implementation, monitoring, and evaluation should depend on the indicators of success, such as key performance indicators (KPIs), metrics, and milestones. Use the feedback and learning from this step to improve and adjust the goals as needed.

What Is the Sixth Step in the Strategic Planning Process?

Reviewing and Revising the Plan Regularly is the sixth step. Conduct a periodic and comprehensive review and make the necessary changes and updates based on the changing environment and circumstances. The review and revision should also involve input and feedback from the relevant stakeholders, such as the management, staff, customers, partners, and others.

What Is the Importance of Strategic Planning

Strategic planning is crucial for the success of any organization. A study by Harvard Business School found that 48% of leaders spent less than one day per month on strategy discussion. These organizations failed to meet at least half of their targets. This shows how vital it is to devote enough time and attention to developing a strategic map , as it can make or break the success of an organization.

Purpose of Strategic Planning

The main reason for strategic planning is to establish a clear direction for the organization. It brings together efforts and resources to achieve the company’s vision and mission. It acts as a guide, helping with decision-making, allocating resources, and operational planning – making sure these activities contribute to the organization’s long-term objectives.

Goals of Strategic Planning

Strategic planning sets specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals and objectives for the organization. SMART goals are the foundation for developing tactics and roadmaps, enabling the organization to focus on achieving desired results.

Value of Strategic Planning

Strategic planning provides significant value to organizations by:

  • Facilitating decision-making
  • Guiding choices toward achieving common goals
  • Enhancing performance
  • Improving resource allocation efficiency
  • Anticipating and responding proactively to changes, challenges, and opportunities
  • Fostering collaboration and communication across the organization
  • Providing a framework for organizational growth and sustainability

Who Does Strategic Planning in Business?

Strategic planning in business typically involves various stakeholders, each with distinct roles and responsibilities:

Board of Directors

Role: The board of directors serves as the guardians of the organization, providing oversight and guidance for the overall process.

Responsibilities:

  • Establish the organization’s vision, mission, and values 
  • Provide tactical direction and approve the overall decisions
  • Monitor the implementation and progress of the decisions
  • Ensure alignment between the strategies and the organization’s purpose

Senior Management

Role: Senior managers, including the CEO, president, and executive team, lead and drive the strategic planning process within the organization. 

  • Develop and facilitate the planning process 
  • Analyze the internal and external environment to identify opportunities and threats 
  • Define goals, objectives, and tactics
  • Ensure effective communication and alignment across the organization 
  • Allocate resources and monitor the implementation of the overall plan

Middle Management

Role: Middle managers act as a bridge between senior management and frontline employees, providing operational insights and ensuring the execution of the tactics within their respective departments or units. 

  • Contribute to the process by sharing operational knowledge and experience – Refer to our operational vs strategic section to learn more
  • Translate the plan into actionable initiatives and goals for their departments 
  • Align departmental goals and activities with the overall goals and direction
  • Implement and monitor the execution of the plan within their areas of responsibility

Role: Employees across various levels and functions contribute to the process by providing insights, feedback, and support for the organization’s strategic direction. 

  • Participate in focus groups, surveys, or feedback sessions to share their perspectives 
  • Understand and align their efforts with the organization’s goals 
  • Support the implementation of the decisions through their day-to-day work and activities

External Consultants or Advisors

Role: External consultants or advisors bring objective expertise and insights to enhance the process and offer guidance to the organization.

  • Facilitate planning sessions and discussions 
  • Offer industry knowledge, best practices, and benchmarking 
  • Provide an external perspective to challenge assumptions and identify blind spots 
  • Advise on methodologies and tools to enhance the quality of the decisions

What Is Strategic Management?

Strategic management is a comprehensive and systematic approach to:​

  • Setting organizational goals
  • Developing tactics to achieve them
  • Implementing those tactics
  • Assessing the results of the actions in reaching the desired outcomes.

Strategic management is an ongoing process. It allows an organization to match their resources and capabilities with their vision and deal with emerging issues and opportunities.

Strategic planning management involves several key activities:

  • Strategic Analysis: This involves assessing the organization’s internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats (often referred to as a SWOT analysis). It helps in determining the organization’s competitive advantages and core competencies.
  • Strategic Planning: Based on the strategic analysis, the organization develops a plan. As we discussed before, the main focus should be on understanding the current situation, setting the vision and mission, making goals and objectives, and creating strategies.
  • Strategy Implementation: After the plan is ready, the organization has to put the strategies and initiatives into action. This means using resources, giving roles, and doing the necessary actions to reach the goals and objectives.
  • Strategy Evaluation: It is very important to check and evaluate how the plan is going. This means measuring key performance indicators, seeing how well the strategies and initiatives are working, and changing them as needed to fit the situation.
  • Strategy Revision: Based on the evaluation results, organizations might have to change their tactics, goals, or actions to match the organization’s vision and mission or to solve any problems or challenges found during the evaluation.

Strategic management planning is closely related to strategic planning but is more comprehensive and dynamic. This table highlights the key difference between these terms:

Benefits of Strategic Planning

Strategic planning offers several benefits to an organization:

  • Clarity of vision, mission, and values to align efforts
  • Proactive thinking and anticipation of changes
  • Efficient allocation of resources (human, financial, technological)
  • Identification of priorities and measurable goals
  • Culture of accountability and continuous improvement
  • Evaluation of performance and adaptation to changing circumstances
  • Stakeholder engagement and buy-in through collaborative process
  • Foundation for decision-making and roadmap for achieving desired outcomes

Strategic planning is a crucial process for any business that wants to succeed in the long term. At OGSCapital , we understand the pivotal role strategic planning plays in driving organizational success. Our experienced consultants bring industry expertise and a proven track record to deliver comprehensive plans. We offer:

  • Customized plans that suit your specific needs and goals
  • Expert guidance and support from senior business consultants
  • Access to the latest market research and data from globally recognized sources
  • Assistance with tactical implementation and execution, as well as performance monitoring and evaluation
  • High-quality documents that are well-written and well-designed

With OGSCapital, you can be confident that you will get a strategic plan that will help you achieve your vision, mission, and objectives, and give you a competitive edge in your market. Contact us today to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How to write a strategic plan?

To write a strategic plan: analyze the current situation, define the vision and mission, set goals and objectives, develop strategies and initiatives, create an action roadmap, and monitor and evaluate progress. This is a collaborative process involving input from various stakeholders and requires regular review and adjustment.

Q. What is the difference between strategic planning and strategy?

Strategic planning is the process of outlining specific steps and actions to achieve a defined goal or objective. Planning focuses on the how and involves detailed tasks and timelines. Strategy is the broader approach used to accomplish long-term objectives. Strategy focuses on the what and involves choosing the best option among various alternatives.

OGSCapital’s team has assisted thousands of entrepreneurs with top-rate business plan development, consultancy and analysis. They’ve helped thousands of SME owners secure more than $1.5 billion in funding, and they can do the same for you.

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Strategic Plan

What is Strategic Plan? Definition, Features, Process, and Importance

Page Contents

What is Strategic Plan?

The strategic plan is a long-term plan that aims for better formulation and implementation strategy to achieve organizational goals and sustainable competitive advantage.

It specifies where an organization will go in the future, how it will get there, and how it will know whether it has there or not. A strategic plan is usually focused on the entire organization. As a result, it differs from a business plan in that it is frequently associated with a specific product, service, or program.

The effectiveness of an organization’s strategic plans is influenced by its leadership , culture, competency, size, and expertise of planners. A strategic plan typically lasts for more than five years. Strategic management emphasizes making strategic plans to better implement strategies.

Its goal is to adapt to the environment while also gaining a competitive advantage. It also has a section on resource allocation. It lays out the organization’s long-term approach and includes the creation of a vision, mission, objectives, and strategy .

The importance of top-level management in the success of a strategic plan cannot be underestimated. To earn lower-level employees’ support and dedication, top-level management should involve them in the strategic planning process. With correct revisions to company and operating plans, a strategic plan is created. This aids in the coordination of an organization’s various departments.

Usually, a comprehensive strategic plan contains the following:

  • A clear statement of strategic intent covering the vision, mission, business definition, goals, and objectives.
  • Results of environmental appraisal, major opportunities, and threats, and critical success factors.
  • Results of organizational appraisal, major strengths and weaknesses, and core competencies.
  • Strategies are chosen and the assumptions under which those strategies would be relevant.
  • Contingent strategies to be used under different conditions.
  • Strategic budget for the purpose of resource allocation for implementing strategies and the schedule for implementation.
  • Proposed organizational structure and the major organizational systems for strategy implementation including the top functionaries and their roles and responsibility.
  • Functional strategies and the mode of their implementation.
  • Measures to be used to evaluate performance and assess the success of strategy implementation.

Characteristics of Strategic Plan

The strategic plan is a long-term action that determines the scope and direction of an organization. The following are some of the notable characteristics or features of the strategic plan.

It is a long-term plan. It normally covers a period of over five years. It provides long-term direction to an organization.

Based on Environmental Analysis

Strategic plans involve the development of the vision, mission, objectives, and strategies of an organization. It is prepared on the basis of environmental analysis.

Strategic Fit

It always aims at establishing strategic fit i.e. fit between strength and opportunity through a proper plan. Strategic fit leads an organization towards the way of competitive advantage.

Involvement of Top Management

Since it is related to the long-term growth and development of an organization, the involvement of top-level management is a must. Top-level management has to play a dominant role in the formulation and implementation of the strategy. Hence, the competency and commitment of the top-level management directly affect the effectiveness of the strategic plan.

Set of Priority

It sets the priority of an organization in terms of the product and market. However, the priority may change with the change in the business conditions.

A Means Only

A strategic plan is a means of achieving organizational objectives. However, it is not an end itself.

Steps in the Process of Strategic Plan

How to make a strategic plan? Strategic plans provide a long-term road map for the organization. It must be prepared systematically and scientifically.

The following are the most commonly used steps in the strategic planning process. They are:

Define Vision and Mission

In the first step of the strategic planning process plan, vision, and mission of the organization are developed.

Vision : The expected picture of the future is called vision. It demonstrates what an organization’s ultimate goal is. As a result, a vision statement helps to determine a company’s desired future.

A vision statement, in other words, signals the direction of where an organization wants to go in the future. It reflects a company’s ideals and goals. It aims to win the hearts and minds of both employees and stakeholders. It should be short and sweet, making it simple to remember.

Mission : In terms of consumers, employees, suppliers, and the community, a mission statement defines a company. It reflects all aspects of the company, including product range and nature, cost, performance, service, market position, growth potential, technology utilization, and relationships with customers, employees, suppliers, competitors, and the community.

It also aids in the clarification of the company’s scope and objectives.

Environmental Analysis

In the second step of the strategic planning process, an analysis of the business environment is done. It helps to collect information on the nature and trends of the environment.

Analysis of Internal Environment : It involves the analysis of resources, organizational policy, organizational structure, and objectives to assess the relative strength and weakness of the business.

Analysis of External Environment : The task and distant environments make up a company’s external environment. Customers, suppliers, shareholders, and trade unions make up the task environment, which is generally near to the firm.

A remote environment, similarly, is made up of political, legal, economic, socio-cultural, technological, environmental, and global elements. A company’s external environment is beyond its control. Business opportunities and threats are influenced by the external environment.

Determine Long-Term Goal

The long-term goal is decided in the third step of the strategic plan. A long-term goal is a business’s desired outcome over a long period of time. A company’s whole operation is focused on reaching a long-term goal.

To be most effective, the goal should be explicit, measurable, acceptable, realistic, time-bound, and flexible.

Strategy Formulation

This is the last step of the strategic planning process. It involves selecting a particular strategy from among various strategies . A strategy is a long-term action plan formulated for achieving a competitive advantage. It defines a business and leads to sustainable growth and development. The strategy follows the vision, mission, and long-term goal.

Importance of Strategic Plan

Why a strategic plan is important? It is a means to achieve organizational long-term goals and objectives. The major importance of strategic planning can be mentioned below:

To realize the desired goals and objectives an organization should be strategically fit. Strategic fit by definition is the ideal balance between the opportunities of the organization and the resources it has. To achieve desired goals they must be linked in a proper manner. Strategic plans ensure strategic fit so they offer more likely to achieve the organizational goals.

Competitive Advantage

It is obvious that strategic plans are directed to achieve a competitive advantage. By definition, it is the gain a company gets over its competing companies. To get a competitive edge a company should strive to offer goods and services which is ideal to competitors and also attract and are acceptable to customers.

Strategic plans provide enough insights to the organization about the market competition, condition, competitors’ strategy, price, product quality, and consumers’ tastes, and preferences. In addition, it also gives an idea to the firm about how to best perform in the competitive environment.

Clear Direction

To go to the final destination an organization should have a clear direction to achieve goals as the vision statement looks like. A strategic plan helps the company to define a positive and clear direction in which the company should walk and also sets clear goals following the vision and mission statements that aid in achieving the ultimate goals of the organization.

A strategic plan provides a necessary foundation for a business to expand, take necessary steps, evaluate its steps, recompense its personnel, and set boundaries for effective decision-making.

Organizational Effectiveness and Efficiency

With the right and understandable plan and strategy, a manager becomes able to communicate with employees in an understandable way. When employee teams understand the tasks they are asked to do they do it in the most efficient and effective way.

In addition, the strategic plans are along with the employee’s competencies and organizational goals which eventually add up to the enhanced performance, productivity, overall efficiency, and effectiveness.

In Conclusion…

Hence a strategic plan is typically more than five years of plan to achieve organizational strategic goals and objectives. It is determined by the top manager hence while determining the manager should take into account all relevant considerations and also participate subordinate employees in order to come up with the most fit actionable strategic plan.

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What is a Digital Government Strategic Plan? Definition, Process, and Examples

By Nick Jain

Published on: February 23, 2024

strategic planning

What is a Digital Government Strategic Plan

A digital government strategic plan is defined as the vision, goals, objectives, and strategies for leveraging digital technologies to transform government operations, enhance service delivery, and improve citizen engagement. 

Here are the key components typically included in a digital government strategic plan:

  • Vision and Mission Statement: The plan begins with a clear and concise vision statement that articulates the desired future state of digital government and how it aligns with the broader goals of the organization. A mission statement outlines the purpose and scope of the digital transformation initiative.
  • Goals and Objectives: The strategic plan identifies specific goals and objectives that the government aims to achieve through digital transformation. These goals may include improving service delivery, enhancing citizen engagement, optimizing internal operations, and fostering innovation.
  • Stakeholder Analysis: The plan assesses the needs, expectations, and priorities of key stakeholders, including citizens, businesses, government employees, and partner organizations. Understanding stakeholder perspectives helps inform the development of digital initiatives and ensures alignment with stakeholder interests.
  • Environmental Scan: The plan conducts an environmental scan to assess the current state of digital government, identify emerging trends, and analyze internal and external factors that may impact digital transformation efforts. This includes evaluating technological capabilities, regulatory requirements, market dynamics, and competitive landscape.
  • SWOT Analysis: A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis identifies internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats, related to digital transformation. This analysis helps inform strategic decision-making and prioritization of initiatives.
  • Strategic Priorities and Initiatives: Based on the goals, objectives, stakeholder analysis, and environmental scan, the plan outlines strategic priorities and initiatives for digital transformation. These initiatives may include modernizing IT infrastructure, implementing digital service delivery channels, enhancing cybersecurity measures, and promoting data-driven decision-making.
  • Implementation Roadmap: The plan includes an implementation roadmap that outlines the timeline, milestones, responsibilities, and resources required to execute digital transformation initiatives. This roadmap provides a clear path forward for implementing the strategic plan and ensures accountability for achieving goals and objectives.
  • Performance Metrics and Evaluation: The plan establishes key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure progress, track performance, and evaluate the impact of digital transformation initiatives. This includes indicators related to service delivery, citizen satisfaction, operational efficiency, and innovation.
  • Governance and Oversight: The plan defines governance structures, roles, and responsibilities for overseeing the implementation of digital transformation initiatives. This may include establishing steering committees, working groups, and project teams to coordinate efforts, monitor progress, and address challenges.
  • Risk Management: The plan identifies potential risks and challenges associated with digital transformation and outlines strategies for mitigating these risks. This includes addressing cybersecurity threats, data privacy concerns, change management issues, and budget constraints.

Overall, a digital government strategic plan provides a roadmap for harnessing digital technologies to achieve government objectives, deliver value to citizens, and drive innovation and efficiency in the public sector. It serves as a guiding document for aligning resources, priorities, and actions to realize the vision of a modern, responsive, and citizen-centric government.

Government Strategic Planning Process

The government strategic planning process involves several key steps to develop a comprehensive and actionable strategic plan. Here’s an overview of the typical process:

1. Initiation and Preparation:

  • Define the scope and objectives of the strategic planning process.
  • Establish a steering committee or leadership team to oversee the planning process.
  • Allocate resources and designate personnel responsible for facilitating the planning process.

2. Environmental Scan and Stakeholder Analysis:

  • Conduct an environmental scan to assess the internal and external factors that may impact the government’s strategic priorities and objectives.
  • Identify key stakeholders, including citizens, businesses, government agencies, and community organizations.
  • Engage stakeholders through surveys, interviews, focus groups, and workshops to gather input, insights, and feedback on strategic priorities and challenges.

3. Vision and Mission Development:

  • Develop a clear and compelling vision statement that articulates the desired future state of the government and its overarching goals and aspirations.
  • Define a mission statement that outlines the purpose and scope of the government’s activities and its commitment to serving citizens and achieving public value.

4. Goal Setting and Objective Definition:

  • Establish specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals and objectives aligned with the government’s vision and mission.
  • Prioritize goals and objectives based on their importance, urgency, and potential impact on citizens, stakeholders, and organizational performance.

5. SWOT Analysis:

  • Conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis to assess the government’s internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats.
  • Identify strategic priorities and areas for improvement based on the findings of the SWOT analysis.

6. Strategy Formulation:

  • Develop strategies and action plans to achieve the government’s goals and objectives.
  • Consider various strategic approaches, such as innovation, collaboration, partnership, and capacity building, to address identified challenges and capitalize on opportunities.
  • Ensure alignment between strategies, resources, and organizational capabilities to support effective implementation.

7. Implementation Planning:

  • Develop an implementation plan that outlines the specific activities, timelines, responsibilities, and resources required to execute the government’s strategic initiatives.
  • Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure progress, track performance, and evaluate the impact of strategic initiatives.
  • Identify potential risks and challenges and develop mitigation strategies to address them proactively.

8. Communication and Engagement:

  • Communicate the government’s strategic priorities, goals, and objectives to internal and external stakeholders through various channels, such as town hall meetings, newsletters, and digital platforms.
  • Engage stakeholders in the implementation process by soliciting feedback, providing updates, and fostering collaboration and participation.

9. Monitoring and Evaluation:

  • Monitor progress against established KPIs and milestones to track the implementation of strategic initiatives.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness and impact of strategic initiatives through periodic reviews, performance assessments, and stakeholder feedback.
  • Use lessons learned from monitoring and evaluation activities to inform continuous improvement and refine the government’s strategic approach over time.

10. Review and Revision:

  • Periodically review and update the government’s strategic plan to reflect changing priorities, emerging trends, and lessons learned from implementation.
  • Engage stakeholders in the review process to ensure ongoing alignment between the government’s strategic objectives and stakeholder needs and expectations.

By following these steps, governments can develop a robust and adaptive strategic plan that guides their actions, drives performance improvement, and delivers value to citizens and stakeholders.

Government Strategic Plan Examples

While specific government strategic plans vary based on the objectives, priorities, and context of each jurisdiction, here are examples of elements commonly found in government strategic plans:

  • United States Federal Government Strategic Plan:

The U.S. Federal Government Strategic Plan outlines the vision, mission, goals, and objectives of the federal government across various priority areas, such as economic growth, national security, healthcare, and environmental sustainability. It includes specific strategies and performance measures to achieve these objectives, as well as mechanisms for monitoring progress and evaluating outcomes.

  • United Kingdom Government Digital Service (GDS) Strategy:

The UK Government Digital Service (GDS) Strategy focuses on transforming digital services to make them simpler, clearer, and faster for citizens and businesses. It emphasizes user-centric design, data-driven decision-making, and agile delivery methods to improve service delivery across government agencies. The GDS Strategy includes initiatives such as the GOV.UK website, digital identity platform, and cloud-first policy.

  • Singapore Smart Nation Initiative:

The Smart Nation Initiative in Singapore aims to harness digital technologies and data to improve the quality of life for citizens, enhance economic competitiveness, and create a more efficient and sustainable urban environment. It includes strategic pillars such as digital government, digital economy, digital society, and digital infrastructure, with initiatives spanning areas such as e-government services, digital innovation, and connectivity infrastructure.

  • Estonia e-Estonia Strategy:

The e-Estonia Strategy outlines Estonia’s vision for becoming a leading digital society, where citizens can access government services online securely and conveniently. It includes initiatives such as the e-Residency program, digital identity system (ID card), and digital government services (e.g., e-tax, e-voting, e-health). The strategy focuses on leveraging digital technologies to enhance transparency, efficiency, and citizen engagement in governance.

  • Australia Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) Strategy:

The Australian Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) Strategy focuses on transforming government services to be simpler, clearer, and faster for citizens and businesses. It emphasizes user-centric design, digital by default principles, and agile delivery methods to improve service delivery across government agencies. The strategy includes initiatives such as the Digital Marketplace, myGov platform, and GovPass digital identity system.

These examples illustrate how governments around the world are leveraging digital technologies to enhance service delivery, improve efficiency, and promote citizen engagement. Each strategic plan is tailored to the unique needs and priorities of the jurisdiction, reflecting the government’s vision for digital transformation and its commitment to delivering value to citizens in the digital age.

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All Articles Marketing Marketing Strategy A guide to an effective email newsletter: Strategic planning best practices (Part 1 of 3)

A guide to an effective email newsletter: Strategic planning best practices (Part 1 of 3)

How do you develop an effective email newsletter system? In part 1 of 3, Kent Lewis lays out best practices for building, marketing and measuring your email newsletter program.

By Kent Lewis 02/26/24

Marketing Marketing Strategy

Email newsletter guide: Strategic planning best practices (Part 1 of 3) Image is of illustration of computer and mobile phone screens, with envelopes flowing from computer screen

Muhammad Ribkhan/Pixabay

Since the first electronic mail (email) was sent in 1971, marketers have been looking for ways to optimize the channel to reach prospects and customers more effectively and efficiently. One of the most common – and effective – forms of regular email communication is in the form of a company newsletter. While hardly new or sexy, email newsletters are still a digital marketing stalwart and should be used to nurture relationships with your brand’s constituents. In this three-part series, we outline best practices for building, marketing and measuring an effective email newsletter. 

Compelling numbers

Email marketing continues to prove itself as an effective sales and marketing tool. Brands of all shapes and sizes can benefit from leveraging existing marketing technology (martech) platforms to develop an email newsletter to reach out to past, current and prospective customers. The following article provides a road map to create an effective email newsletter program based on proven best practices, with a focus on strategic planning and competitive benchmarking.

For starters, email is still the most important source of information, particularly at the start of every day. According to OptinMonster , 58% of consumers check email before any other information channel, including social media. 

Here are five additional compelling email marketing statistics to frame up the need and value of an email newsletter.

  • For every $1 you spend on email marketing, you can expect an average return of $40. That is a 40x ROI. ( Litmus )
  • 18% of companies achieve email marketing ROI greater than $70 per $1 invested. ( OptinMonster )
  • 60% of consumers have completed a purchase after receiving a marketing message by email. ( Porch Group Media )
  • 42.3% of Americans subscribe to email lists to receive savings and discounts. ( OptinMonster )
  • 1 in 3 US retail email list subscribers have purchased something from the brand whose emails they receive. ( OptinMonster )

Define your goals, objectives and audience

The first step in the development of an effective email newsletter is to map the program to existing sales and marketing goals. Newsletters are highly effective in moving interested parties (mid-funnel) to conversion (bottom of funnel), over time. As a result, sales and marketing should be in alignment regarding objectives ranging from content to calls-to-action . When determining and clarifying the objective(s) for your email newsletter program, consider sales, marketing and business goals. 

Prioritizing target audiences also is a critical step in the planning phase. While the primary focus should be on past, present and future customers, there are other constituents that should be considered. These audiences may include current employees, investors, partners, the press and the local community. Each audience has unique needs and wants, so focus initial efforts on hitting the sweet spot (i.e., shared areas of interest like company news).

With a defined objective – or objectives – ensure you can associate the objective(s) with measurable goals. For a holistic view of the newsletter program efficacy, consider tracking the following KPIs in a dashboard:

  • Email list growth (month-over-month)
  • Open/read rate (trending percentage)
  • Click-thru rate (to all or specific targeted website content)
  • Quantity/quality of conversions (inquiries, form fills, phone calls, walk-ins, etc.)
  • Bound and unsubscribe rates

Analyze competitors to inform newsletter strategy

Whether you are starting with a clean slate or looking to refine an existing newsletter program, one key data point to consider is competitors. Your competition can provide essential insights into what they believe customers want and can inform if not refine your newsletter design and content strategy. As a result, the first step in the competitive benchmarking process is to identify competitors with email newsletters and subscribe to as many as you feel are prudent. (I suggest at least five or six.)

Once competitor emails arrive in your inbox, analyze the newsletter’s strengths and weaknesses. Here are four criteria to consider evaluating as you review competitors’ newsletters:

Content : Assess value proposition, clarity, segmentation, personalization and engagement strategies. What content is of high value and should be included in your newsletter? Which content misses the mark and should be ignored?

Design : Evaluate visual appeal, mobile responsiveness, branding consistency and user experience. Since design is highly subjective, I recommend asking a handful of industry peers to provide their feedback (customers are ideal – as they are typically the target audience). What looks good to you may not appeal to a prospective customer. The objective elements of a newsletter design are easier to assess, however: all newsletters should look good on a mobile device, for example. 

Delivery : Analyze subject lines, segmentation and/or personalization elements. Do the competitors’ subject lines intrigue you, your fellow coworkers or peers? Are the newsletters personalized in any way? This step may require the use of multiple email addresses and profiles to verify.

Performance : Look for unsubscribe rates, open rates, click-through rates and trackable elements (this may be exceedingly difficult if not impossible, based on the newsletter platform). One element of performance that can be evaluated is whitelist status (whether the emails are getting through to your inbox – vs trapped in the junk or spam folder).

Frequency and timing : Assess competitor email frequency and send times (factoring in industry best practices and research, included below). For example, if your competitors are sending emails near the start of the month, consider sending your email mid-month. According to MailerLite , the best time to send an email newsletter is between 9 a.m, to 10 am and 11 am and noon on Mondays and Thursdays (although this is a moving target).

With clear goals, target audience definition and insights from a competitive benchmark, your email newsletter is ready to take shape. In part two of the three-part series, we will address email newsletter template design and how to build your contact list to maximize the ROI of your investment. 

Tune in next week for part 2: Template design and marketing best practices

Illustration of writing an article on a laptop

ASU Lodestar Center Blog

The power of workplace culture, and how it impacts nonprofit performance.

workplace culture

Workplace culture is more than a leadership approach, a strategic plan, or even a set of values held by an organization. Workplace culture ensures that employees feel connected, valued, safe, motivated, and invested. It outlines expectations and creates opportunities for behavior modeling, and allows for relationships to be built on trust and respect. A positive workplace culture is not just a passive desire within the sector. According to a study by Deloitte, 83% of executives and 84% of employees believe having engaged and motivated employees is one of the most important attributes of a successful organization. And the road to engagement and motivation is paved by workplace culture.

So how can leaders develop a culture that will improve outcomes?

Define the values that staff feel are important to them and the workplace culture

No one type of culture is any better than another. Rather, it is most important that the leadership understand the culture valued by the employees, and support the collective values. It is recommended that leadership clearly identify those shared values to ensure a mutual understanding with staff.

Provide leadership training for leaders specifically on leadership styles that prioritize emotional connection, trust, communication, accountability, and transparency

Emotional safety and connection between staff and leadership is crucial for a healthy culture. By providing leaders with appropriate training, education, and support, leadership is more likely to meet the emotional needs of staff which will in turn improve organizational performance.

Prioritize the psychosocial, mental, and emotional well-being of staff

These are all characteristics that are impacted by workplace culture, but are also related to resilience. By prioritizing staff well-being, organizations can reduce burnout thereby increasing retention. When staff are performing at their best, the organization will reap the benefits. 

Ensure all staff are treated equally

Inequitable treatment was directly related to a negative workplace culture, resulting in diminished organizational performance.

Promote independence, innovation, and creativity

These are all characteristics of workplace empowerment, which was positively related to workplace culture. A culture of empowerment is not only directly related to increased job satisfaction, but also to organizational performance.

These recommendations are not all-encompassing, but they are not meant to be, rather these recommendations are merely a starting point. Leaders and organizations who implement these recommendations will learn the individual needs of their staff and that is where the culture is built. By prioritizing culture organizations will find their staff have the unparalleled ability to create their desired outcomes.

Sarah Harvey is a 2023 graduate of the Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at Arizona State University. She also has a degree in criminal justice with a concentration in human services from Southern New Hampshire University. She currently lives in Pennsylvania, where she is the Director of Safe Home, a program operated by YWCA Hanover. Safe Home’s mission is to help all domestic violence victims and survivors, by taking collective responsibility for establishing safety, awareness, and empowerment through crisis intervention, advocacy, counseling, referral, outreach, prevention and education. In her free time, she enjoys reading, supporting her husband at the RC track, and watching her daughter play roller derby.

Image by Lillian Finley

Learn more with our Optimizing Human Resource Strategies in Nonprofits Certificate

The  Optimizing Human Resource Strategies in Nonprofits Certificate  is for individuals seeking knowledge and skills in nonprofit human resources, volunteer management, change management, and conflict resolution. Through this program you will learn how to recruit, manage, motivate, and reward both staff and volunteers in order to effectively utilize their strengths, effectively lead and champion change within an organization, and develop strategies to overcome internal and external conflict.

  • Building trust in communities through DEI

Sarah Harvey

Sarah Harvey

Fall 2023 Alumna, ASU Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management

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    Goals and objectives. Every strategic plan should include a goals and objectives section. You can include both short- and long-term goals as they relate to your overall business vision. Example: Short-term goals: Hire five new employees within the next four months. Increase sales quotas by 10% within the next six months.

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