Strategic planning – it’s only as good as the thinking
Jon and I facilitate a lot of strategic planning.
In this work, we constantly challenge organizations to think deeply.
To do that, staff and board members need to start their planning with a true sense of inquiry.
So we encourage lots of questions:
- What do you already know about your challenges, opportunities and needs?
- What is your dream for your clients? for your community?
- What is the best work happening in your field? How is that different from what you are doing? The same?
- Why is it that you do the work in the way you do? What evidence do you have for this?
- What does your community need — do you really know?
- What is your special role in meeting that need?
- What will get you to your community impact the most effectively?
- How much stronger could you be if you included others in your journey?
- What values won’t you compromise along the way?
- What capacity do you need to build to get you where we want to go?
- How much will that cost? What’s the plan to get there?
Seeking out data, talking to others, grappling with questions, pursuing answers, creating frameworks, crunching numbers — that is the strategic planning.
The written report codifies that thinking to guide your future.
See also:
Five elements of thinking strategically
Improve your strategic planning – WRAP it!
Strategic planning tips from the inventor of the granola bar