|
|
|||||
|
|||||
| Path: Main Street > Resources/Library > Research Articles > Feature Article |
What is a strategic plan?By Ron Robinson, President of ABARIS Consulting Inc.
It’s Organization Specific
November 5, 2001
All organizations have slightly different structures, focus, geographic scopes, programs and services, and levels of management skill, etc. As such, it becomes very dangerous to use the same strategic planning template for every organization. It’s akin to a doctor treating every patient with the same prescription.
The optimal breadth and depth of a strategic plan for one organization is rarely optimal for another. So all strategic plans don’t look alike and they shouldn’t look alike. That is not to say that there are no common areas or processes; there are. The difference in the strategic plans lies in which areas to include, which to omit and which to focus on. These decisions are organization specific.
What’s in a strategic plan?
There are many things that can go into a strategic plan. Which ones you need depends on your specific circumstances. A few of the questions to ask yourself in determining the scope of your strategic plan include (but are not limited to):What’s the organization’s culture? Some of the areas that are commonly seen in strategic plans include:
- Is the organization in crises?
- What is the organization’s stage of development?
- What level of resources are available?
- How much competency do the Board and senior management have in the area of strategic management?
- How diverse are your stakeholders?
- How many stakeholders do you have?
What is a strategic plan?
- Vision statement
- Mission statement
- Mandate
- Strategic drivers
- Value statement
- Corporate goals
- Objectives
- Performance metrics
- Competitive analysis
- Stakeholder analysis
- Environmental analysis
- Internal resources
- Organizational competencies
- Customer assessment
- Value proposition
A strategic plan is a management tool used to improve the performance of the organization. A tool that is demonstrated in a document that outlines the organization’s direction and priorities. It is a guideline to be used by management in making decisions regarding the allocation of resources. And it is also a process that an organization undertakes to build commitment among it’s key stakeholders to the agreed upon direction and priorities.
In other words a strategic plan is a process that builds commitment from its key stakeholders to a particular direction that will guide the future allocation of the organizations resources. The process and areas need to be included in the strategic plan are organization specific.
Ron Robinson is the president of ABARIS Consulting Inc. He can be reached at (519) 472-9788 or rrobinson@abarisconsulting.com. This article is provided free of charge, for information purposes only and is not intended, represented or to be inferred as providing advice. ABARIS Consulting Inc. makes no warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability for accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information provided in whole or in part within this article.
|
|||
