Strategic planning represents different concepts to different individuals. To some it means establishing missions and exercising values. To others it signifies establishing deadlines for action items and managing changes. Whether philosophical or task-oriented, strategic planning means moving an organization in the direction of a shared vision through mutual goals and objectives.
A strategic plan is different than a business plan. A strategic plan places its focus on the organization as a whole whereas a business plan emphasizes a specific program or service.
The Importance of Strategic Planning
An organization without a strategic plan may have goals and objectives, but the method of achieving them has not been established. Without a strategic plan, organizations have no way of knowing whether or not they have achieved their goals and objectives.
Successful organizations have a clearly defined plan that is discussed among significant members, including stakeholders, employees, and the community. Internal and external influences are taken into account, and decisions are based on fact rather than generalizations.
Strategic Planning Benefits Organizations
Having a clearly defined strategic plan in place has real benefits for an organization. Strategic planning clearly defines the purpose of the organization, establishes realistic goals and objectives that correlate with the organization’s mission, allows diversity of ownership in the plan, ensures the most effective use of resources, provides a foundation by which progress can be measured, and increases productivity from increased efficiency and effectiveness.
The Need for Strategic Planning
The need for strategic planning varies from organization to organization. As a general fuel, new organizations need to adopt a strategic plan. Strategic plans can also benefit organizations that are adding a new department or new services and programs.
HRD Plays a Role in Strategic Planning
Human Resource Devlopment (HRD) needs to be a component of an organization’s overall corporate strategy to ensure the quality of its human capital, which can be greatly enhanced through the effective, efficient, and appealing training it delivers and implements.
Organizational Readiness
The most important factor in determining readiness is whether or not the organizational leaders are devoted to the endeavor and able to contribute the necessary attention to its planning and implementation. There should also be a commitment of sufficient resources for planning and implementation of the strategic plan.
The Strategic Planning Process
A variety of individuals can contribute to the planning process. Include at least one person who has authority to make strategic decisions, involve those who are responsible for writing and implementing the plan, include a representative that will be affected by the plan, and involve someone to administer the process.
Be sure that the planning team is compiled of individuals that represent the organization’s clientele and community. This could include staff, clients, and community members.
Establishing Organizational Goals
Organizational goals indicate future positions that the organization wants to attain. Be sure that these goals reflect the internal environment or restrictions of the organization, without conflicting with the uncontrollable elements of the external environment.
Goals created in the strategic planning process must be attainable and should reflect the organization’s mission and vision.
Summary
Strategic planning plays several important roles in an organization. It establishes the direction of the organization in relationship to its goals and objectives, it defines how its objectives are going to be accomplished, and it gives the organization a device to evaluate whether or not it has achieved its goals.
By Shirley J. Caruso, M.A., Human Resource Development
Organizational Strategic Planning has many benefits and does help with moving the organization forward. Even though the strategic plan focuses on the entire organization, organizational goals should be attainable. Strategic planning will help to assess if the previously set goals have been met by the organization.
Strategic planning within an organization is necessary to develop a specific goal, direction and process in order to be succesful. Part of strategic planning also involves analyzing the leadership necessary to implement the plan.
Strategic planning is very important to a organization growth, because it helps to identify a companies goals and where they want to be in the future.
Strategic planning focuses on the organization overall. It is crucial to develop a strategic plan in order to develop a sucessful organization. A organization with goals can not achieve its desired results without a strategic plan. The organizations goals need a method to achieve them. This method is the strategic plan that incompasses what the company is about and provides effective means of attaining the desired goals.
Having a clear thought out strategic plan in place has real benefits for a company. I agree with the author that planning makes a major effort in company to solve objectives and mission and plans which does increase productivity of efficient and effectiveness for the employees.
I always defined strategic planning as setting a goal and creating a game plan in how to achieve it but after reading this article I can definitely agree that strategic planning is something bigger than that. Strategic planning involves a organization as a whole with a company’s mission and overall culture and how that is obtained to become successful.
Strategic planning is very important to an organization because it helps the organization obtain a specific goal and helps with the success of an organization.
Strategic planning is one of the many stepping stones to move forward in an organization and helps you realize if you have succeed in the goals you want to reach. I agree tha being organized is very important when you are strategically planning.
Strategic planning as explained, sounds as the answer to all the companies that lack a well directed and well planned way of operating. Just becouse a company is big, it does not mean that it is functioning at its best, nor does it mean that all its goals are well developed or planned. The value of a strategic planner to any company is immeasurable.
I also agree with this article, Strategic planning can de defined in many way but at the end of the day there is one mission which to complete the desired goal.
I think these are the hardest pionts to get, I have filled this box 3 times now. Without organization nothing can be done or built or lived. Organization is of the utmost importance to every thing and every one. Strategic planning is the life of a company, and a Planner its profit.
Strategic Planning is necessary for an organization to grow. The plan needs to reflect the mission, vision and values of the organization. The plan should be created with different parameters such as 1 year, 5 year, and 10 year goals and these goals must be attainable and measurable.
I agree with the article because when I hear strategic plan, I think of it as if the company is getting ready to change something and move in a different direction to better the company.
I agree witht the article that planning makes a very important effort in company to solve objectives. Mission and plans increase productivity and effectiveness for the employees. Strategic can lead to meeting the goals of an organization.
Organizations can function without a strategic plan, however it is benefitial for them to have a strategic plan in place. Without strategic planning, a company might lack the ability to measure their successes and move in any clear direction. Strategic planning enables an organization to meet goals and objectives more efficiently and continue to make progress.
Strategic planning plays an important role in establishing organizational goals. Having a clearly defined strategic plan helps the company.
Every organization should implement a strategic plan in order for it to be a successful one. Just as the article opened up, a strategic plan is more than than just a business plan. It provides the information that entails how the business will actually move forward and how theywill actually achieve achieve their goals and reach their mission. It also includes an evaluation to check how the strategic planning is coming along. Their are a variety of members who can take part in the strategic plan and all have an important contribution to its success.