Online Courses : Strategic Planning

Preliminary Considerations

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What is Strategic Planning?

essence of management includesability to plan. As you work your way uporganization, planning moves from operational to strategic. Strategic Planning is one ofprincipal responsibilities of upper-level management. Once management decides onStrategic Plan, lower-level managers implementStrategic Plan through an Operating Plan.

Strategic Planning attempts to answer a very fundamental question: Where do we want to be one year from now, two years from now, three years from now, etc.? Strategic Planning requires that an organization develop a vision of itself - how do we see ourselves infuture? Strategic Planning looks atbig picture from a long-range perspective whereasOperating Plan representsspecific tactics for carrying outStrategic Plan year to year.

Strategic Planning is a process whereby an organization makes choices about:

Why do we exist?
What aremajor goals of this organization?
What resources do we need for a successful future?
Who will be our customers?

Why do Strategic Planning?

Strategic Planning helps management understandcurrent situation. This in turn allows management to plan forfuture. In a world of rapid change, it is becoming imperative for management to think strategically (plan forfuture). And sincerate of change seems to be escalating, importance of strategic planning continues to grow. In fact, best-managed companies tend to engage in continuous strategic planning. Some organizations have intuitive thinkers who almost seem to see intofuture. Therefore, strategic planning is a way of preparing forfuture by attempting to simulatefuture.

Strategic Planning has a tendency to force people to think aboutfuture. This is extremely important since many organizations are inward thinking, focusing too much onshort-term. Strategic planning looks atlong-term which is how organizations survive and thrive. It has been proven that organizations that focus onlong-term through strategic planning outperform organizations that lack long-term planning. Consequently, one ofbenefits of strategic planning is long-term performance and growth. Another benefit of strategic planning is communication. Strategic Plans communicateintentions of management to employees, shareholders, and others.

Limitations of Strategic Planning

Strategic Planning should not be viewed as a guarantee to future success. Strategic Planning has limitations, such asfollowing:

1. Strategic Planning is not a way of making future decisions. There is no way anyone can predictfuture. Strategic Planning provides overall guidance and direction based on what we think will happen.

2. Strategic Planning is not a blueprint forfuture. There are too many changes taking place - marketplace is changing, customer preferences are changing, new competition, new technologies, new opportunities, declining financial condition, etc. Strategic Planning is a dynamic process, which is receptive to change.

3. Strategic Planning cannot resolve critical situations threateningorganization. Strategic Planning will not get you out of a crisis. organization should be stable before engaging in strategic planning.

4. Strategic Planning should not replace good intuitive judgements. If an organization is lucky enough to have good intuitive thinkers, then exercise extreme care before embarking on formal strategic planning. You do not want to destroy intuitive thinking withinorganization.

5. Strategic Planning will not identify all critical issues related toorganization. Strategic Planning attempts to identifymost significant issues that will confrontorganization. By focusing on major issues, strategic plans minimizedetail and thereby improve chances for successful implementation.

Specific Problems Associated with Strategic Planning

In addition to limitations, strategic planning can raise new problems for an organization. Some ofpitfalls associated with strategic planning include:

1. Strategic Planning is difficult. It requires that people think differently. Strategic planning needs to be a creative process with new ideas. Many people are not well suited for this type of decision making. New relationships and roles are often necessary within strategic planning. Some people are not comfortable with new activities and tasks.

2. Strategic Planning is time consuming. It requiresinvolvement of people, not to mention research time, reallocating resources, changingorganization, etc. All of this can drain organization, especially if resources are scarce. 3. Strategic Plans can be bad! Poor assumptions, overly optimistic projections, and other bad decisions can result in a bad strategic plan. A bad strategic plan will lead to serious problems fororganization.

4. Impossible to Implement. If upper-level management fails to supportStrategic Plan, then implementation will be impossible andoverall process will have been wasted. Additionally, there can be internal resistance to strategic planning. People resist strategic planning for several reasons: Does not make sense, not enough time, do not understand why we are doing this, etc.

Since strategic planning raises critical issues, it usually leads to change. Therefore, it will be important to understand how to implement change. You can reduceimpact of change on people by following these guidelines:

1. Allow some input and involvement from people. As long as people have a say in change, they tend to accept it better.

2. Try to avoid threateningsecurity of people. When change affectssecurity of people, they will resist.

3. Make sure change follows a pattern of previous decisions that were successful. If you are trying to implement change after several failed attempts, your chances of success are poor.

4. Make sure everyone understands why change is taking place.

5. Change should take place based on planning. Change should never be experimental. best way to plan for change is withinstrategic planning process. And since change is so prevalent throughout an organization, almost every manager should make strategic planning part of his or her job. next step inprocess is to organize how a strategic plan will be developed.

Organizing the Process

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Our first step within strategic planning begins with organizingprocess. Before we start to organize the process, we need to make sureorganization is ready for strategic planning. For example, if strategic planning is new to the organization, then we want to proceed slowly. Maybe too much is happening withinorganization and thus, strategic planning should be postponed. It is important to recognize that strategic planning works best when:

1. organization has good management.
2. organization has good channels of communication.
3. organization is open to new ideas.
4. organization is not buried in rules and bureaucracy.

Since there is no "right" process, you have to determine if strategic planning fits within your organization. Is the timing right? Is management committed toprocess? Do we have the right mind-set? For example, iforganization is dominated by operating people who think short-term, then you may want to proceed cautiously with strategic planning. You also need to be sold onbenefits of strategic planning. As previously indicated, strategic planning is a process whereby you prepare forfuture by looking at your choices.

Start Organizing

Strategic planning starts by planning for the plan; i.e. we have to outlineprocess before we begin the process. There are several questions that need to be addressed for organizing the process:

Who will dostrategic plan?
What are we suppose to do?
How will we do it?

Specifically, organizingstrategic planning process includes the following steps:

1. Determine what is expected and communicate this to everyone who will be involved in developing the Strategic Plan. What issues shouldplan address? Obtain a definitive statement from the Chief Executive Officer or President stating what he or she expects out of the Strategic Plan. Circulate an outline to all major participants inprocess.

2. Gather preliminary information for the plan, such ascurrent mission of the organization, major goals in progress, and other plans already implemented. Survey key managers and determine critical issues offuture.

3. Determine the scope of the strategic plan. What isplanning period? Generally, planning period should cover enough time to shift direction of organization towards a desired situation. What is organizational scope ofplan? Will plan cover entire organization or maybe certain divisions or units?

4. Reach consensus from essential participants on howplanning process will work. Also, determine how different stakeholder groups will be involved in process. Prepare a sequence of steps which will guideprocess.

5. Finalizeformation of a planning committee. Who will be involved? Who will manage process? Assign responsibilities and determine resource requirements.

EXAMPLE 1 - Preliminary Checklist to Organize Process

1. Based on concerns of key managers andpossible benefits of strategic planning, we should: ____ Proceed to Develop a Strategic Plan , ____ Go Slow , ___ Not Now, too much going on

2. A Strategic Plan should be developed for: ____ Entire Organization, ____Part of Organization, ____Project, ____Other

3. planning period will cover: ___ 1 Year / ___ 2 Years / ___ 3 Years / ____Other__

4. planning process will be directed by: ___Group Leader, ___Planning Committee, ___Consultant, ____Other__________

5. Strategic Plan will be developed with participation by: (check all that apply): ____Board of Directors / ___Executive Management / ___Key Staff Groups_______________________________________ / ___Key Stakeholder Groups_______________________________________

6. Strategic Plan is expected to be submitted for approval by: ________________________

approach used for strategic planning will depend uponorganization and management. If upper-level management has been unsuccessful in past with strategic planning, then a more bottom-up approach is needed. Iforganization is small, then a team approach may work well. Larger organizations tend to favor a more formal process. However, too much formality can lower creative thinking and new ideas. process should be open and not ritualistic.

objective of organizingprocess is to ensure that you end-up producing a good strategic plan. By staying focused on critical issues and alternatives, good planning will emerge. Do not be afraid to use some judgements and move quickly. A drawn-out process can wander and become outdated by a rapidly changing environment.

EXAMPLE 2 - Napa Distributors Inc - Outline for Strategic Planning

1. Select a steering committee to direct strategic planning process.
2. Select an outside consultant to assist withprocess.
3. Get agreement onplanning steps, responsibilities, timeline, etc. Review agreement with Board of Directors.
4. Gather information from key management personnel on strength's, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and critical issues.
5. Summarize current plans and mission. Review past successes and failures for last three years.
6. Review history with committee and board members. Determine recent progress and status.
7. Summarize prior meetings and draft a basic plan.
8. Review draft plan with focus groups, board, and key management personnel. Make revisions and finalize a complete strategic plan.
9. Final review by various groups.
10. Obtain approval of Strategic Plan.
11. ImplementStrategic Plan.
12. Review progress after six months and revise plan.

Finally, recognize that each organization is different andplanning process will vary. Start simple and match capabilities oforganization with a process that is workable. first step for three different companies is illustrated below:

Excaliber Corporation - Determine what kind of company we want to be - company has not changed in over ten years.

PPC Software - Outline basic tasks for a strategic plan anddesired results. Allow process to flow from this outline.

Alliston Trucking Company - Initiate a learning program for management on strategic planning.

Asset Management Ratios

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Once you have organizedprocess, the next step in the process is to assess your current situation. organization needs to take a hard look at itself - Where are we going? Where are we now? What are our choices? In order to assess your current situation, you will need to collect information so that everyone understandscurrent situation. This will involve a review of past history, a critique ofcurrent mission statement, analysis of organizational strength's, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. You also need to understandexternal environment - current competition, customer trends, technology trends, demographic changes, etc.

Information can be collected through surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and other analytical techniques. planning team will conduct situational analysis by following a series of steps, such asfollowing:

1. Collect background information to assess the situation. Start with a history oforganization, current mission, significant changes, stages of growth, etc. Have someone give a presentation on the history of the organization. Reach consensus on how successful the organization has been inpast few years.

2. Assess the strengths and weaknesses oforganization. Confine your list to the most significant strengths and weaknesses. Reach agreement on a good list. This list will help indevelopment of strategic objectives.

3. Next, develop a list of significant opportunities and threats facingorganization's future. You will need to gather information about external forces - customers, competition, social trends, technology, political, etc. Ifplanning team comes up with a long list, ask everyone to listmost significant eight and reach consensus on a list of eight opportunities and threats.

4. Now that you have identified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, you need to review the mission statement. Does it fit? Should it be broader or more narrowly focused? A good mission statement should captureessence of why your organization exists. A good mission statement includes the following characteristics:

- Provides overall direction and vision fororganization.
- Conveys an image of success for addressing the future.
- Defines the competitive boundaries oforganization.
- Usually is expressed in relation to marketplace served and products / services.
- Avoids being too specific so as to allow room for change.

EXAMPLE 3 - PPC Software - Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths:
Research & Development is finding new product innovations.
Customer loyalty is strong - high repeat customers.
Good reputation for quality software programs.
Weaknesses:
Organization is top heavy with Managers.
Market share is declining from new competition.
Internal production facilities need upgrading.

EXAMPLE 4 - Excaliber Corporation - Opportunities and Threats

Customers:
Customers are demanding a personal level of service in several areas - technology, consulting, planning, etc.
Competition:
Larger organizations have more resources for providing a better diversity of services to customers.
Technology:
Internet will become a major channel for distributing services.

main output from situational analysis is to compile a list of critical issues. A list of six to eight critical issues isbasis for preparing a formal strategic plan. It is helpful to categorize critical issues in relation to significance and probability of occurrence. table below categorizes four different critical issues:

(1) diversity of products we offer is not wide enough to meetdemands of customers.
(2) Overseas competition can produce similar products at much lower costs.
(3) Customers are seeking fabrication services in addition to products only.
(4) There is a shortage of highly skilled operating personnel.

Situational Audits

One way to assess a situation is to conduct a situational audit. Situational audits represent an analysis of past, present, and future aspects oforganization - production, marketing, financial, competition, etc. objective of a situational audit is to identify key trends and events that will impactorganization. Situational audits also provide a way of discussing major issues. This can help jump-startcreative process when there is internal resistance.

Just like situational analysis, situational audits gather basic information for preparingStrategic Plan - Mission Statement, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats, and Critical Issues. Situational audits also includeexpectations of stakeholder groups - executive management, operating personnel, investors, employees, customers, etc. Past performance is reviewed - sales, market share, product profitability, customer trends, etc. Situational Audit is similar to situational analysis except that it is more formal and structured. Outside consultants are sometimes used to conduct situational audits.

Making Situational Analysis Work

Atheart of situational analysis isneed to better understand what is going on and to properly account for what is happening. This look inside and outsideorganization leads to a list of 6 to 8 critical issues. Before we proceed to develop a strategic plan for dealing with these critical issues, it is imperative that we find some degree of overlap or matching with:

- What it is you are trying to accomplish (Mission)
- What are you capable of doing (Strengths and Weaknesses)
- What is required and possible (Opportunities and Threats)

If there is no overlap between these three elements of strategic planning, then you should not proceed to develop a formal strategic plan. For example, suppose your organization has following mission statement:

We want to beglobal leader inmanufacture of automotive spark plugs.
However, your resources are limited to production and distribution in North America and certain parts of Europe. This lack of overlap or fit precludes a strategic plan. You need to go back and findright fit before moving tonext phase inprocess - developingstrategic plan.

Developing the Strategic Plan

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So far, we have accomplished two important steps: OrganizingProcess and Assessing Situation. We are now ready to translate our critical issues into a formal plan. We can think of a strategic plan in terms of layers, working down fromtop. Mission Statement is the top ofladder or pyramid. next layer is the strategic objectives oforganization followed by strategic goals. Next, we move down to specific action steps for meeting the strategic goals. level of detail tends to increase as we move downpyramid of the Strategic Plan:

We need to develop a set of strategic objectives that will addresssignificant critical issues of the future. Although critical issues aremain determinant of strategic objectives, the following criteria also need to be considered:

1. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT). This is a good place to start if you are not sure how to address critical issues. Remember you are trying to maintain a good fit with all elements fromplanning process.

2. Available resources that will affect what you can do. Strategic objectives should be developed based onbest use of resources.

3. Tradeoffs between upper and lower management. Upper-level management will set ambitious objectives that are difficult for lower-level managers to meet. Therefore, a negotiation needs to take place between upper and lower management on final strategic objectives.

4. Past performance adjusted for future trends should fit with strategic objectives. Once again, we are trying to findright fit based on what we are capable of doing. Past performance is a good indicator of capabilities. In addition to the above criteria, strategic objectives should attempt to meetfollowing tests:

1. Strategic objectives clearly supportMission Statement by moving the organization in the right direction.

2. Strategic objectives are realistic and achievable based on available resources, existing competition, management styles, etc.

3. Strategic objectives are acceptable to those who have to implementobjectives in terms of costs, time, staffing, and other requirements.

4. Strategic objectives are not rigid and allow for change given unplanned events.

5. Strategic objectives are specific enough to allow for measuring progress.

6. Strategic objectives are simple, easy to understand, and convey responsibilities to specific areas.

EXAMPLE 6 - Strategic Objective No.4 for Appalachian Tree Growers

Our objective is to increase market share in Western Europe by 10% overnext three years.

One ofmost common approaches to setting strategic objectives is the critical issues approach; i.e. looking at critical performance areas such as market share, product profitability, production efficiencies, employment practices, public responsibility, etc. However, we can also take three other approaches, scenario playing, organizational alignment and goals approach.

Scenario Playing: Under scenario playing, several different alternatives are developed based on what could happen. What willorganization look like if this happens or this happens? This approach selects the preferred scenario based on the merits of each. Scenario playing is a better approach then the critical issue's approach when the organization has several different directions to choose from. Onother hand, scenario playing is not a good approach iforganization is simply trying to fine-tune or adjust its strategic plan.

Organizational Alignment: Under this approach, you are trying to get all parts oforganization to work together. This is required before you attempt to address critical issues with strategic objectives. Organizational alignment determines what is working and what is not working. What parts are holdingorganization back? Strategic objectives are developed to re-align the organization so that everything is working properly.

Strategic goals are the next layer withinStrategic Plan. Some organizations prefer to set goals rather than objectives, which leads us to a third approach, Goals Approach. Goals Approach is straightforward. It focuses on goals since most people are very familiar with goal setting. A goals approach works well for larger organizations that have multiple business units or divisions. Iforganization is small and/oroperating environment is rapidly changing, then a goals approach may not work.

EXAMPLE 7 - Strategic Goal No.2 for Appalachian Tree Growers

Marketing Department will submit a promotional program by September 30th targeted at France, Germany, and Spain.

key elements of a strategic plan are now in place - Mission, Objective, and Goals. It is time to pull all ofelements together and draftStrategic Plan. In order to makeplan complete, additional sections will be added. These sections include:

1. Executive Summary: A one or two page summary ofStrategic Plan which touches on main components, such as mission, objectives, and current situation.

2. Principles: beliefs and values oforganization can help add substance toStrategic Plan.

3. History: A brief summary aboutorganization. How did it get started? What significant events changeddirection oforganization?

4. Profile: Some basic facts aboutorganization, such as markets served, size of organization, major product lines, etc.

5. Situational Analysis: A brief summary ofstrengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats now confrontingorganization.

circulation of a draft strategic plan will sometimes prompt new ideas, new issues, and new objectives. Therefore, one ofcritical steps in strategic planning is to refine and adjustdraft plan. Get everyone to agree onmajor objectives and goals since this will direct whatorganization will do innext year or two. You must have a clear and concise strategic plan for easy translation into action steps. This isnext major step inprocess - developing an Operating Plan. And don't forget to evaluateprocess so you can improvenext planning session.

EXAMPLE 8 - Evaluation ofStrategic Planning Process

1. Do you believestrategic planning process was useful?

2. DidStrategic Plan produceright results in regards to: Mission, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats, Critical Issues, Identification of Competition, and Goals.

3. Do you believe strategic planning improvesmanagement oforganization?

4. Does strategic planning fit withinorganization?

5. Do you believe strategic planning improved how assets are deployed?

6. Do you believe that key groups affected byPlan had sufficient opportunities for input intoPlan?

7. Do you believetime spent on strategic planning was appropriate?

8. Did strategic planning follow a set of efficient steps?

9. Did strategic planning facilitate new ideas?

Implementing the Strategic Plan

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We have established our overall strategies forfuture. We need to make it official by having the Strategic Plan approved. Approval may involveBoard of Directors, Executive Management, and others who need to lend their support to getPlan implemented. By having key decision-makers approveStrategic Plan, it signals that it's OK to implement Plan. Implementation is managed throughdevelopment of an Operating Plan.

An Operating Plan is a step by step plan for implementingStrategic Plan. Operating Plans depend upon good strategic plans. If there are fundamental problems withStrategic Plan, then successful implementation will be extremely difficult. Additionally, since operating personnel must implementStrategic Plan, some level of involvement prior to this point should have taken place.

Operating Plans are prepared for the short-term (usually one year). One major function of Operating Plan is to allocate resources for gettingplan implemented. If resources are not available or there is an excess of resources, thenStrategic Plan should be re-evaluated.

Operating Plans need to coverfunctional areas which are required for implementation - marketing, research & development, financing, operations, technology, etc. Each functional area will submit detail budgets and plans for inclusion withinOperating Plan. Detail functional plans addressfollowing:

- Plans for establishing organizational size, structure, and staffing.
- Plans for asset deployment and investment.
- Plans for promotion, pricing and marketing of products and/or services.
- Plans for production changes and scheduling.
- Plans for management development and training.
- Plans for raising capital.

Generally, functional plans should be prepared by Managers overfunctional area. They should not include areas outside the control of the Manager. key task forManager is to remain focused on the Strategic Plan and not get lost in the detail. best operating plans tend to minimize the detail and flow fromStrategic Plan.

Also consider the following points about Operating Plans:

- Operating Plans usually assign responsibilities and defineroles people will play in accomplishingStrategic Plan.
- Operating Plans are routinely changed as you learn more and gain experience. An incremental, trial and error approach is oftenbest approach.
- Operating Plans need to be tight enough to meet strategic objectives, but loose enough to allow for creativity and flexibility.
- Operating Plans usually will include a timeline or deadline for completing tasks.
- Operating Plans should be communicated to everyone held responsible for doingtasks. If outside groups will assist, then include them incommunication.

Evaluation and Control

Successful implementation requires monitoringprogress of action steps within the Operating Plan. Evaluation should be done on a regular basis (monthly, quarterly, etc.) with an emphasis on the following:

- How much progress has been made in accomplishingtask?
- What is preventing us from moving forward?
- Is there a need to go back and revisestrategic objective?
- What adjustments should be made to Operating Plan?

One way to evaluate and control an Operating Plan is to include budgets. Budgets are used to allocate resources and coordinate how assets are deployed. Budgets compare actual results with performance standards. Budgets usually cover short-term (one year or less) and they cover several functional areas - marketing budget, production budget, technology budget, etc.

Budgets should be prepared based onfollowing criteria:

- Budgets should be simple and easy to understand.
- Use budgets for those areas that need to be monitored.
- Budgets should not dominate decision-making. They should be used as a tool for managing, not a way to manage.

All of budgets for an organization are combined intoFinancial Plan. Financial Plan is part of Operating Plan.

Note: For more information onFinancial Plan, take Short Course 2 on Financial Planning and Forecasting. One of problems with budgets is that they tend to be financial in nature. Strategic Plan covers many functional areas not related to finance, such as marketing, customer service, production, and human resource management. Therefore, we need a measurement system fornon-financial areas. performance measurement system used for measuring non-financial areas is calledBalanced Scorecard. Balanced Scorecard is designed around Strategic Plan. Additionally, Balanced Scorecard will include critical financial measurements. Therefore, Balanced Scorecard becomesprincipal system for evaluation and control of Strategic Plan. Like Strategic Plan, best Balanced Scorecards tend to be simple and manageable.

Contingency Plans

Because change is so much a part of planning and decision making, it is often useful to include contingency planning withinOperating Plan. Contingency Plans provide direction to operating personnel if unplanned events occur. For example, lower-level managers can prepare several budgets - expected budget, budget if growth rates are 10% below expected, 20% below expected, etc. These alternative or contingency plans provide guidance based on "what if" type analysis.

Contingency Plans are prepared similar toOperating Plan. They cover short-term and outline specific action steps to be taken. However, level of detail is kept to a minimum, providing enough information to set a new direction.

Larger companies will use simulation models to prepare contingency plans. For example, if market growth is 5% less than expected, impact on cash flow and earnings will be _____. Since more quantitative data is available atoperating level rather than upper levels of organization, simulation is more appropriate for developing operating plans than strategic plans.

Updating the Plan

final step in this entire process is to repeatprocess; i.e. update Strategic Plan. process needs to be dynamic since operating environment is changing. As a minimum, strategic plans need to be updated yearly by going throughbasic process of assessment, critical issues, objectives, etc. This will involve new staffing, new projections, and new implementation steps. Additionally, you may need to change your approach to strategic planning. If a stable environment has become extremely dynamic, then a shift from a goals approach to scenario playing may be appropriate.

Summary

Strategic planning is a dynamic process of continuously looking at your current situation and plotting your next move. This requires a solid understanding oforganization as well as an understanding about environment thatorganization operates in. best organizations are always engaged in some form of strategic planning. There is no right way to do a strategic plan. best approach is to find a process that fits withorganization. This requires a fit with mission statement, strengths and weaknesses of organization, and opportunities and threats confrontingorganization. If there is a fit, then start process by getting organized. Organization involves putting together a team or committee, collecting information about current plans, and outlining howStrategic Plan will be developed.

Situational Analysis is next step inprocess. Situational analysis is an assessment of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to organization. Significant critical issues (no more than eight) are listed. Critical issues are addressed by developing overall strategies or objectives. combination of mission, objectives, principles, and other components becomes formal strategic plan. final layer inprocess is implementation ofplan. An Operating Plan is used to plot specific actions or tactics for gettingStrategic Plan implemented. Operating Plans consist of budgets, functional plans, financial plans, contingency plans, and other specific plans. Throughout this entire process, changes and updates can take place. Therefore, strategic plans and operating plans must be flexible and open to revision. At least once a year, Strategic Plan is re-evaluated for changes.

Recommended Workbook: Strategic Planning Workbook byWilder Foundation, 919 Lafond Ave, St. Paul, MN 55104-2198, Ph: 1-800-274-6024 or 651-659-6024 or visit www.wilder.org.