What Strategic Planning Is . . . and Is Not

Strategic planning is:

• Driven by the organization's leadership.

• A platform for developing an organization-wide understanding about the future.

• A combination of long term thinking and immediate action.

• Flexible-a framework for responding to unpredictable changes in circumstances.

• Focused as much on the questions as the answers (the process of asking questions about the organization's future, the changing environment, etc.-then discussing them together and coming to a common understanding-has as much value as the goals and strategies you adopt, if not more!).

• A guide for decision making.

• A reference point-for periodic revisiting of vision, direction, and accomplishments, and for verification before launching new initiatives and objectives.

When it is done well, strategic planning is not:

• A "quick and dirty exercise" that will have little or no impact on the organization's actions.

• A long drawn out process that postpones action ("analysis paralysis").

• A blanket endorsement of business as usual, with blinders that overlook the changing environment or prevent re-thinking the way some things have been done in the past.

• Focused on developing a weighty document (if so, the document will probably just sit on a shelf).