EXPERTISE AVAILABLE IN:
Survey Research
Strategic Planning
Healthcare Education and Training
Emergency Management – Operations
Emergency Management – Funding Streams
Emergency Management – Communications
EXPERTISE AVAILABLE IN:
Survey Research
Strategic Planning
Healthcare Education and Training
Emergency Management – Operations
Emergency Management – Funding Streams
Emergency Management – Communications
What is Strategic Planning?
- Strategic planning is an organization's process of defining its strategy and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy, including its capital and people. The outcome is normally a strategic plan which is used as guidance to define functional and divisional plans, including Technology, Marketing, etc. - Wikipedia
Simply put, strategic planning determines where an organization is going over the next year or more and how it's going to get there. Typically, the process is organization-wide, or focused on a major function such as a division, department or other major function. The term means comprehensive, thoughtful planning – exactly what you want to do when considering the future of your organization or agency.
The major activities in strategic planning include:
1. Strategic Analysis
This activity includes conducting a review of the environments in which the organization or agency has to function (for example, of the political, economic, social and technical environment). This is an analytical tool commonly known as a PEST analysis. Our Consultants carefully consider various driving forces in the environment, for example, increasing competition, changing demographics, political realities, etc. and then look at the various strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (an acronym for this activity is SWOT) of the organization. Depending on the organization type, a Five Force Analysis may also be conducted to drill down on the competitive landscape.
2. Setting Strategic Direction
Our Consultants carefully come to conclusions about what the organization must do as a result of the major issues and opportunities facing the organization. These conclusions include what overall accomplishments (or strategic goals) the organization should achieve, and the overall methods (or strategies) to achieve the accomplishments. Goals should be designed and worded as much as possible to be specific, measurable, acceptable to those working to achieve the goals, realistic, timely, extending the capabilities of those working to achieve the goals, and rewarding to them, as well.
At some point in the strategic planning process, our Consultants usually identify or update what might be called the strategic "philosophy". This includes identifying or updating the organization's mission, vision and/or values statements. Mission statements are brief written descriptions of the purpose of the organization. Mission statements vary in nature from very brief to quite comprehensive, and including having a specific purpose statement that is part of the overall mission statement. Many people consider the values statement and vision statement to be part of the mission statement.
It seems that vision and values statements are increasingly used. Vision statements are usually a compelling description of how the organization will or should operate at some point in the future and of how customers or clients are benefiting from the organization's products and services. Values statements list the overall priorities in how the organization will operate. Some people focus the values statement on moral values.
Moral values are values that suggest overall priorities in how people ought to act in the world, for example, integrity, honesty, respect, etc. Other people include operational values which suggest overall priorities for the organization, for example, to expand market share, increase efficiency, etc.
3. Action Planning
Action planning is carefully laying out how the strategic goals will be accomplished. Action planning often includes specifying objectives, or specific results, with each strategic goal. Therefore, reaching a strategic goal typically involves accomplishing a set of objectives along the way -- in that sense, an objective is still a goal, but on a smaller scale.
Often, each objective is associated with a tactic, which is one of the methods needed to reach an objective. Therefore, implementing a strategy typically involves implementing a set of tactics along the way -- in that sense, a tactic is still a strategy, but on a smaller scale.
Action planning also includes specifying responsibilities and timelines with each objective, or who needs to do what and by when. It should also include methods to monitor and evaluate the plan, which includes knowing how the organization will know who has done what and by when.
It's common to develop an annual plan (sometimes called the operational plan or management plan), which includes the strategic goals, strategies, objectives, responsibilities and timelines that should be done in the coming year. Often, organizations will develop plans for each major function, division department, etc., and call these work plans.
Usually, budgets are included in the strategic and annual plan, and with work plans. Budgets specify the money needed for the resources that are necessary to implement the annual plan. Budgets also depict how the money will be spent, for example, for human resources, equipment, materials, etc.
Our Consultants
The Business Consultants of the Scott Consulting Firm are tenured professionals in business and industry. Each has significant experience in the development and execution of comprehensive strategic planning. They will work alongside your leaders to develop a new plan or enhance an existing one. Though all aspects of planning will be addressed, of particular focus for our firm are organizations struggling with issues related to:
Business Development
and
Marketing
Give us a call and schedule a Complementary Consultation. One of our Consultants will meet with you and explore your current direction and how you would like to strategically address issues within the organization.
Special Note for Start-ups
As Entrepreneurs ourselves, start-ups have a place, near and dear, in our hearts. We enjoy mentoring people as they “wade into the water” and believe we can help ease a great deal of the angst related to starting up any operation. With checklists to assist in putting formal structure into place to business and marketing plan templates to weekly/monthly mentoring through your first year, our Consultants can demystify the process and help you lay a solid foundation from which to build.
Call us today and schedule your Free Consultation – you’ll be glad you did!