Recently I had the opportunity to facilitate a one-day strategic planning retreat for a client. It was a great day, not only in terms of helping to provide direction for the team, but also in terms of offering an opportunity to review and recognize past efforts, identify roadblocks and areas of opportunity, and have some fun in the process!
I wish more clients would take the time to plan. It doesn't have to take a lot of time, it doesn't have to be extremely expensive, and it doesn't mean that once the plan is created it is carved in stone and can't be modified.
Having created numerous plans for clients and projects large and small--from marketing plans for very large organizations, to communication plans for product launches, to simple plans for the introduction of an eletter--I've found that the basic steps are always the same. In fact, I use the same model with each planning effort I undertake. The steps are:
- Identify/clarify high level goals
- Gather relevant background information
- Conduct SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis
- Identify/clarify and prioritize SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timebound) objectives
- Identify and prioritize strategies
- Identify and prioritize tactics
- Assign responsibilities and establish target dates
- Develop process for reporting and review
It's that simple! These steps truly do reflect a straightforward approach to literally any type of planning effort.
The complexity comes in when you gather a group of people together with different opinions, perspectives, goals and agendas (sometimes hidden). It can be like herding cats, but it can also be extremely rewarding and, when done effectively, can help companies save time and money and achieve measurable objectives.
My book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Strategic Planning will be released in March and I know I'm biased, but I'd definitely recommend it as an easy to use guidebook that can help even the most planning-averse businessperson create a successful strategy.
In the meantime, if you'd be interested in a copy of our white paper "Best Practices for Successful Strategic Planning," just let us know.
