What is a Strategic Plan?

A strategic plan can be created for a business, a department, a team, or a non-profit—basically, any organization that needs to know where it is going and how it is going to get there.

The nature of your team’s strategic plan depends on your type of organization.  The differences are essential—strategic planning is never a “cookie cutter” process.

Why Do We Need a Strategic Plan?

For New Businesses:

You're building a new company, team, and vision.  Expectations are high—but possibly not all focused in the same direction.  And in a competitive market, you don't have the money or the time to experiment with how to run the business.

Your strategic plan rallies your company around its reason for existence.   It gives you the support you need to set each member of the new team into action, now.  

What is In a Strategic Plan?

For Ongoing Businesses:

You've been in business for a while, but lately you've had the nagging sense that things in your market are changing. Maybe your competitors are making moves, or it's time for you to move your company to the next level. It's time to rethink strategy, mission, goals, and objectives.

Your strategic plan ensures that everyone in the organization understands the new rules of the game, instead of playing by the old ones.  It's your yardstick for staying on track.

What is In a Strategic Plan?

For Departments and Teams:

You manage a department or team.  You get targets from above (or maybe you don’t), and input from below.  And then you have your own ideas about where your group needs to go. 

Your strategic plan pulls it all together in a cohesive way.  It equips your people to make decisions each day with the same priorities you would use.  And with so many projects going on, your plan helps you avoid “initiative overload.”

What is In a Strategic Plan?

For Non-Profits:

You know who you serve, and you’re passionate about your mission.  But because your inherent mission is to serve, the goals and objectives are different than in a for-profit business.  The focus is on “indicators of success,” and that focus will shift depending on the type of work that your organization does. 

Your strategic plan sets it all down on paper in a way that grantors want to see it, with clearly defined indicators for success.

What is In a Strategic Plan?
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