Why Strategic Planning is Important to your Organization.
Some business and non-profit leaders are great strategist and have a mandate to always be thinking about strategy for their organization. These leaders often have a big picture brain and are able to envision things most of us normal people won’t pick-up. They encourage their team to always be thinking about strategy and are diligent about making and living by a strategic plan that will act as their roadmap to achieve success. On the other spectrum, there are leaders who are so tied up in the daily operations of their organization that they have very little time to think about strategy and it’s often put on the sidelines. Some of these organizations may not even have a strategic plan, of if they do – it’s not part of their daily culture. A very scary thought considering the ever-changing world and the importance that strategy should play in setting your business up for success. Not everyone has the skillset, or the talent, to be a worldclass strategist, but strategic planning needs to be put at the forefront of any organization to set itself up for success.
So why is a Strategic Plan Important for your Organization.
1. A Strategic Plan will set Direction for your Business - It will create that proactive roadmap for the next three to five years that will guide your team to successful outcomes.
2. It’s a Great Opportunity to Reset - Every business gets in ruts and need to reset. A solid strategic plan will enable your organization to start new and exciting objectives.
3. Builds Team – A collaborative strategic planning process that includes all stakeholders will create buy-in from everyone in your organization and is a great opportunity to build team.
4. Everyone Is Singing from the Same Page– All Stakeholders will be working towards achieving the same vision and mission for the organization once the plan is implemented.
5. Great Way to Think Big - “What’s Possible” - Not everyone is a big picture thinker, but here’s a process that encourages big picture and creative thinking. Some of your best ideas may not come from senior managers.
6. A Strategic Plan Will Identify Future Risks to your Business - Organizations need to be continually looking around the corner for possible external and internal threats that may affect their company in the future. During the strategic planning process proactive scans are done to flush out possible threats to your business. Strategies to protect your business are often discussed during the process.
7. It Keeps all Stakeholders Accountable and Organized - A strategic plan creates action and keeps everyone on track to make sure objectives are being met by all parties.
8. Strategic Planning creates an Exciting and Positive Work Environment – If are employees are part of the process - they genuinely care about the organization and will be excited about helping the team achieve the plan creating momentum.
9. A Strategic Plan will help Flush out Inefficiencies. Many organizations are wasting man hours by focusing on things that are not important to the organizations mission & vision. Strategic Plans will help flush out these inefficiencies and recommend ways that they can do things better to make sure everyone is focused at the tasks on hand.
10. Strategic Planning sessions will encourage businesses to look at revenue strategies - In all of the strategic planning sessions I have facilitated, the number one strategic objective for organizations today is the importance of growing revenue. In order for businesses to thrive, they need to make sure they keep an eye on the needle.
As you can see by the above points there are many advantages for organizations to get out of their comfort zone and develop a strategic plan that will move them forward. Strategic plans are important. Not everyone is a “big picture strategic thinker” and that’s okay, by forming the right committee with diverse skillsets - you can create a masterpiece with a mission and vision that will set you up for future success. It can also be helpful to have someone on your committee with strategic planning experience or hire a business consultant to help guide you through the process to make this exciting experience that much easier.