Strategic Planning

 Strategic planning is the ongoing process where a future direction is charted using current assets and strategies. Desired outcomes of the process include a prioritization of efforts, optimal resource allocation, and alignment of corporate and stakeholder goals. Strategic planning is best accomplished by involving all stakeholders–not just the management team but internal and external constituents that can provide important (and often overlooked) input. “Ongoing” is an often and unfortunately overlooked part of the definition. External and internal factors often require a change in the adopted plan before the plan’s tenure is complete.

 By developing a plan, the company develops a single, forward-focused vision that should align all stakeholders. A plan should also identify inherent biases in the decision-making process. The creation of a plan will also create an objective base to measure strategic goals.

 Our part in the strategic planning process includes assessing the company’s current strategy and economic environment, identifying the company’s goals and objectives, developing the plan and performance metrics, sharing the plan with constituents, and revising and restructuring the plan as needed. The completed plan will include a company vision (what the company would like to be), a company mission (who the company is and what it does), a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis, the firm’s core values, and action plans to accomplish the plan’s goals.