Summary:

Strategic planning and strategic leadership styles vary just as the employees and business owners of companies involved in the planning process vary.

Today, more than ever, the ability to gain instant access to news and information has changed the way many companies do business. However, the necessary skills to effectively manage others has not changed that much. Today’s work force is much less tolerant of bullying by management, and instead are looking for qualified and genuine leaders to work for.

Strategic planning seeks to answer the questions where are we, where do we want to be, and how are we going to get there. When deciding on strategic goals, keep it lean with only one to three goals as this will help keep the plan uncluttered and focused.

Next, come up with a tactical plan that easily translates into daily or weekly tasks. that chip away at the completion of key goals. This step also requires developing a budget to allocate the necessary resources.

Article Quote:

“Strategic planning isn’t just for corporations. Small businesses, even a sole proprietor, benefit from making strategic plans on an annual basis.”

Link: http://www.ilabstech.com/info-blog/strategic-leadership-focuses-your-strategic-planning.html

To insure companies meet their goals, strategic planners include responsibilities, timelines and accountability in the mission statement. Change within the organization is often met with some type of resistance. Therefore, present the plan with clear expectations of each individual so they understand their role in bringing the plan to reality.

For more on strategic planning, see http://www.performancesolutionstech.com/category/strategicplanning/

Summary:

Although thinking strategically and planning strategically are two different concepts, they are quite interrelated and complementary. Planning strategically involves a systematic programming of pre-identified strategies and thinking strategically involves a more integrated perspective of the organization.

When thinking strategically, it is not the specific details of the future that is needed; instead, one must only have an idea of what the future will be. Additionally, through strategic thinking, executives, managers, and supervisors are able to understand that there is a link between change and strategy. This helps to understand that identifying new strategic options and then needing to implement them successfully can become quite a challenge.

Article Quote:

“Strategic thinking can be explained through seven dimensions. These seven dimensions are as follows: vision of the future, strategic formulation and implementation, managerial role in making strategies, control, managerial role in implementation, strategy making, and process and outcome.”

Link: http://becomingwhoyouwanttobe.com/2010/03/a-closer-look-at-strategic-thinking/

Implementing strategy is often constrained by resistance to change within the organization. People are comfortable with what they know and the processes that are already in place. Shaking up the comfort level with a new direction for the company poses quite a challenge for leadership.

Leadership first needs to be committed to the plan if they expect others to get behind it. Next, delivery of the plan should include clearly defined objectives, broken down into actionable tasks that easily integrate into daily to-do’s. This allows individuals to not only understand the strategic goals, but also their part in bringing the plan to action, also increasing accountability.

For more on strategic planning, see http://www.performancesolutionstech.com/category/strategicplanning/

Summary:

Clearly identifying your vision and communicating it consistently and constantly creates an environment that equips and motivates members of the organization to create positive moments of truth experiences for your external customers. All business processes, management practices, and employee incentives should flow from and be in alignment with a clearly defined strategy in order to achieve maximum success. A good strategy is to get a knowledgeable and objective outsider involved in the planning process to allow for an impartial point of view. This creates an opportunity for fresh eyes and new ideas that can inject creativity into the process.

The first step is to ask yourself where do you want to be in five years and why aren’t you there right now? Asking why you haven’t reached yet that success point can be revealing because the reason might be one that you haven’t realized or been willing to face. Understanding where you want to be and why you aren’t yet there is the first step in developing a strategic plan.

Article Quote:

“Your vision gives you a point of reference for evaluating and planning all aspects of your business. You’ll make better and faster decisions when you evaluate every choice by asking, “Does this take me closer to or farther from the attainment of my vision?””

Link: http://alcorp.net/?p=25962

Clarifying vision, goals, and the tactical planning steps needed to get there are what strategic planning is all about. Once developed, however, there are some elements to address in order for the plan to be successfully executed. Getting everyone in the organization on board with the plan increases involvement, thus increasing the chances for success. To keep your plan active, it needs to be integrated with daily tasks and objectives where results can be measured This increases accountability when tasks are not completed and allows for course adjustments when something is not working. A huge mistake is to create a plan where results are rarely measured, for instance- once a year at the next strategic planning session.

For more on strategic planning, see http://www.performancesolutionstech.com/category/strategicplanning/

Summary:

In the past, most companies could get by with just strategic planning. Today’s changing markets demand more. Engage in strategic planning on a regular basis AND enhance the abilities to think strategically throughout the company. By doing this, your organization will become more flexible while increasing your ability to handle any new challenges that come your way.

Green gives several principles to follow to enhance the ability to think strategically. They involve overcoming the fear of failure; taking incremental steps; making a commitment so others will follow you; don’t wait for the ideal moment to execute your plan; being responsive; demonstrating resolve; and instilling teamwork.

Article Quote:

“Strategic thinking occurs when the entire organization begins to act in concert with the strategic plan. It involves teaching people at all levels of the organization to anticipate opportunities and threats while managing the day-to-day tasks that fall within their scope of responsibilities.”

Link: http://www.business-strategy-innovation.com/2009/12/getting-others-to-think-strategically.html

When employees begin to think strategically, they become more responsive to changing customer needs. They become better at identifying potential threats, obstacles, and problem areas before they reach a critical point. They also become better problem solvers as they learn how their decisions and actions impact the business in the future as well as today. Furthermore, they become more involved with and more supportive of the overall strategic plan.

Getting everyone involved with the strategic plan should involve putting the plan in front of them on a daily basis. Prioritization of tasks, accountability, and follow-through increase when everyone has instant visibility on the who, what, and when in the organization.

For more on strategic planning, see http://www.performancesolutionstech.com/category/strategicplanning/

Summary:

According to this author, the primary fear when developing the strategic plan is resource allocation. Employees worry about leadership allocating enough resources to execute the strategic objectives  and whether they will be expected to do more less allocated. Given are three questions this author believes are essential when working the strategic plan. First, is there a facilitator addressing important elements (mission, vision, accountability’s, etc.)? Next, is there a process for measuring effectiveness? Finally, is the top three “stop doing” objectives being identified.

Article Quote:

“It seems that boards/executive leadership pay close attention to certain elements of the strategic planning process – mission, vision, objectives and strategies. However, the process often seems to stop before the objectives are reviewed to ensure that they are (1) measurable and (2) reasonable. It seems that other critical elements of strategic planning – timelines, accountabilities, resources and evaluation procedures – are often swiftly reviewed or skipped over entirely.”

Link: http://blog.catchyourlimit.com/2009/12/three-essential-resource-questions-when.html

Measuring effectiveness and including accountability and timeliness is often overlooked in the strategic planning process. Without careful examination of these elements, leadership will not realize advanced productivity or allow their people to achieve a greater sense of ownership in the plan. Performance technology can do half the work for you as long as a commitment to implementation is maintained.

For more about strategic planning, see http://www.performancesolutionstech.com/category/strategicplanning/