Overview Introduction of Strategic Planning and Facilitation
Strategic Planning
Strategic planning is the continuous and systematic process of guiding members of an organization to make decisions about its future, develop the necessary procedures and operations to achieve that future, and determine how success will be achieved.
Oppenheim (2006) defines Strategic Planning as the methodical process by which an organization anticipates and plans for its future by undertaking an examination of the organization and its environment by those who have a stake in its future success.
Strategic Planning is a long term plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal, as differentiated from tactics or immediate actions. It may employ methods like SWOT analysis to help clarify objectives and strategies. Strategic planning uses "the big picture" to pursue large scale, long term objectives. (Wikipedia - Strategic Planning, 2006).
The primary motive for organizations to do strategic planning is to learn and to make decisions about the future of the organization based on that learning.
The basic strategic planning process includes: 1. Identify your purpose (articulate mission and vision); 2. Assess the Situation; 3. Develop Strategies, Goals, and Objectives; 4. Identify specific approaches or strategies that must be implemented to reach each goal; 5. Identify specific action plans to implement each strategy, and 6. Monitor and update the plan.
A challenge in strategic planning is to decide what bits and where bits of information will be used to support business decisions. In general, strategic plans can fail for two types of reasons: inappropriate strategy and poor implementation.
Good strategic planning is typically based on a rich mix of conceptual, qualitative and quantitative information about what works for whom.
The amount of time it takes an organization to complete a strategic plan varies greatly depending on a number of factors, including; the size and complexity of the organization, past experience with strategic planning, accessibility of planning data, and time and availability of board and staff.
Strategic Planning results in a written document that serves as a blueprint to guide the organization towards its future goals, but far more important than the strategic plan document, is the strategic planning process itself.
Facilitation
Wikipedia - Facilitation (2006) defines facilitation as any activity which makes easy the tasks of others. From a business and/or organizational development perspective, Gaffney (2000) explains that facilitation "is the process of enabling groups to work cooperatively and effectively".
In particular, facilitation is important in circumstances where people of diverse backgrounds, interests and capabilities work together.
(Yoder-Wise, 2015) During the process of planning you need to assess your internal and external environment, identify any opportunities and threats. Then you want to create your plan and identify your goals and objectives, implement the plan and lastly you evaluate and make any necessary changes. In strategic marketing, you want to identify your target market and research it. When planning you identify your strategies and objectives you identify what services you will provide and at what cost an how you’re going to market your plan. You can evaluate by getting feedback from consumers through different
The strategic planning process is helpful and very challenging. According to Dess, Gregory G., G.T. Lumpkin and Marilyn L. Taylor, an organizations strategic management process consists of “the analysis, decisions, and actions an organization undertakes in order to create and sustain competitive advantages” (2005, para. 1). A strategic plan is a roadmap, a blueprint that an organization can follow that allows an organization to formulate fundamental decisions by engaging in a long-range view of what it anticipates to achieve and how it will do
Hence, it is opportune to indicate that strategic planning is “[the] organizational planning that includes the establishment of overall goals and positioning an organization’s product or service against the competition” (Robbins and DeCenzo,
Another important quality in a successful society is collaboration. Collaboration is the act of wo...
A strategic plan is a tool that delivers guidance in achieving a mission or goal with maximum proficiency and control for an organization. Strategic planning is used to transform and revitalize organizations. The plan helps provide an inclusive understanding of opportunities and challenges both internally and externally for the organization. The plan delivers an assessment of the strengths and limitations that are realistic within the company. A well-developed strategic plan will offer a comprehensive approach and empowerment for the stakeholders involved. It is an opportunity for learning and understanding priorities that will drive the business to succeed. Jones (2010), describes how in health care organizations, strategic plans characteristically concentrate on operational and organizational goals such as when to obtain new technology, how to meet competitive challenges, and what staffing, tools, or facilities are needed to ensure organizational survival. The mission and value statements are significant in determining the quality of a strategic initiative. Forcing the organization to look toward the future creates proactive objectives in which both short-term and long-terms plans and goals are necessary in order to succeed.
Facilitation is defined as “The act of making something easier” (http://www.ica-uk.org.uk/what-is-facilitation) and in a group situation, this would mean that the facilitator works with a group of people to help them work together, define and achieve their goals, as well as overcome any possible challenges in doing so. The focus needs to be on not merely solving each problem as it arises, but rather creating a sustainable, changed organisation, with lasting effects.
The Strategic Plan of an organization is the most efficient and resourceful plan an organization can implement. Riordan takes immense pride in the strategic plans in place for the manufacturing organization. Through the strategic plan, the organization could improve current business processes, measure the quality of their customer base, review quality assurance and improve their process improvement plan. Through these plans their process has a strategy and direction with the ability to allocate resources in order to generate capital and increase excellent customer satisfaction among their customer base.
If asked what strategic planning is one could interpret it as simply a road map that can guide the organization in the right direction. It is very unlikely that an organization would know which direction to take without a sense of direction. Managers are faced every day with decisions that have a major impact on the direction the organization must take, therefore, strategic planning can play an important role in guiding managers in the right direction. In other words strategic planning is a tool that management can use to give them a sense of direction that will guide them in doing a better job and to ensure that all the members of the organization are working toward the same goals
Strategic planning has a focus on stabilizing the current environment, and it also support the organization's business plans and goals. Strategic planning helps to implement new projects, new technology, consolidation of data centers, data warehouses, exponential data growth, cost of ownership, and resources available in an organization to assess the future requirements. Strategic planning analyzes the business plan, potential blockage or other issues in the current architecture, processes and their implementation in new initiatives, and processes. Strategic planning helps to formulate the ideas about the key factors that are affecting the present and future development of the organization and the opportunities offered by the environment and the competence of the organization.
...c management or planning presents a structure or agenda for dealing with issues and solving problems, therefore, understanding potential risks or pitfalls of strategic management and being prepared to deal with them is critical and vital to success. Strategic management not only permits top leaders and managers to be more proactive than reactive in building or developing their own potential or outlook in an organization, and it also lets them to make the first move and influence activities, consequently, executives and management can control or in charge of the company’s own future, and achieve its main goals and objectives. Overall, increasing cost-effectiveness and efficiency, improving the value for its stakeholders, and advancing customer services and management excellence are the key objectives of strategic management and decision making in an organization.
The application of developing a strategic plan and goals is by asking the right questions and having mutual engagement. The strategy involved in creating a plan is the best way to create a vision to share with others.
One of the frustrations I 've had with most of the definitions of strategic planning is that rarely is the concept "strategic" or "strategic thinking" well-defined. (I feel the same way about the use of the term "policies" which is why I 'm drawn to the framework
The four steps that lead managers and the firm through the strategic planning process are first defining the company’s mission, then setting objectives and goals, next designing a business portfolio and lastly developing functional plans. The first step involves focusing on consumers’ needs and wants. Setting forth a market oriented mission that organizations want to reach based on consumers of the environment. After finding the mission, organizations then proceed to put together supportive objectives for every level of management to help achieve its mission. Next the company has to design a business portfolio evaluating all of its current business and future business by coming up with
Strategic Planning is looking at where you are now, knowing where you want to be in the future and planning the steps to get you there.
Strategic management has shown to enhance the company’s profits and market shares. Companies need to utilize strategic management in order to improve that their performance and organizations are set. Some of the benefits of strategic management are it brings new opportunities and development, the manager is more involved in their job role, the quality of the company is enhanced, implementing models that will bring the company growth and profits, it helps the manager to be organized in order for them to be successful, it brings certainty to the company, and provides management with a guide to what the company is needing to accomplish with their goals for the future. According to Nmadu (2007) he stated “strategic management has become more important to managers in recent years and defining the mission of their organization in specific terms have made it easier for managers to give their organization a sense of purpose” (Dauda, Akingbade, and Akinlabi, 2010, p.100). Strategic management can also have its disadvantages. A few disadvantages are time and effort that is put into the company, and discussing what is important for the company’s long-term goals. Another disadvantage is managers stay on the planning stage but forget to implement and take control of the plan. If strategic management is not enforced than this can cause effects on the companies market shares, and profitability. Enforcing a strategic plan will play a major role in the companies