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