Strategic planning – 8 questions to consider
When I think about strategic planning, I think about it as an intentional direction setting for your organization. Sometimes I use the phrase “intentional turning” though strategic planning can also end up affirming your current direction.
At the center of strategic planning is a commitment to community impact or mission-based objectives. These objectives are backed up by a clear-headed understanding of the dynamics of the world you exist in, a thoughtful and evidence-based strategy for executing programs (or an experiment that you’ll learn from) and a plan for building the operational capacity and strategic partnerships that are your best shot at reaching those objectives.
Here are a few questions your planning process should consider:
- How has/ is our community, our world, changing?
- What do we think the future will look like?
- What impact do we have the courage to try to achieve?
- What is the smartest way to get there? Is there a Plan B? C?
- Who’s coming with us?
- What must we do differently, more of, less of?
- How much will this cost?
- How will we pay for it?
Oh yes, you’ll need data to answer these questions. So consider how you’ll find out what you need to know.
A few resources: