Strategic Planning

A Strategic Plan is simply a tool to help an organization manage and achieve short and long-term goals.  Does your organization have a Strategic Plan? How recent is it?  Do you use it to drive decision-making and align the tactics of your business? 

The most successful organizations have well-developed Strategic Plans that they use to set goals, align the Board and management, communicate clearly with their teams and stakeholders, provide a framework for strong leadership, smartly chart their business growth, and embody their core values and beliefs.

Developing a strong Strategic Plan varies depending on your organization’s readiness to embark on the process. Doran Strategic Consulting will work collaboratively with you to develop your Strategic Plan and customize the process based on your needs.

Strategic Planning Options

• Vision & Mission Development: Use this option to create a new organizational Vision or Mission or to revisit existing statements. This would be conducted through collaborative visioning exercises and workshops with key internal and external stakeholders. 
• Organizational and Operational Reviews: How is your organization performing against your performance targets?  Use this option to conduct a systematic organizational and operational review that will provide deep insight into the workings of your company.  Use the intelligence to set Strategic Goals tied to organizational performance and the implementation of improved operational models.
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): You can’t achieve success unless you can measure your progress. Use this option to develop a set of KPIs and/or performance metrics that will help your teams track outcomes and your management to report on success to internal and external stakeholders.
• Financial Strategy: Achieving your strategic goals will require a clear picture of how to fund your initiatives.  Use this option to map out the types of revenue and approaches your organization must take to secure funding through grants, industry partnerships, fundraising and other revenue-generating initiatives.
• Change Management Strategies: Organizational change is scary and can be highly disruptive if not managed thoughtfully. Use this option to review, evaluate and plan the deployment of improved program and management models that are tied to your strategic goals.
• Strategy to Tactics: What are the best ways for your organization to realize your strategic goals? Use this option to develop practical pathways to achieving your strategic goals.
• Risk Analysis: Every Strategic Plan should review and evaluate the many types of risk facing your organization. Use this option to map and categorize your risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Communication Strategy: In order to achieve your strategic goals, you will need a clear communication strategy that speaks to internal and external stakeholders; articulates key messaging; and maps out your most effective communication channels. Use this option to understand the who, what, when, why of an effective communication strategy for your organization. 
• Partnership Strategy and Engagement Plans: Your Strategic Plan should address the types of partnerships you will need to realize your goals. Use this option to develop the guiding principals and criteria your organization will use to establish key partnerships and implement your partner engagement plans.
• Ecosystem Mapping: Understanding your environment is critical to creating a powerful Strategic Plan. Doran can help you map your sphere of influence to learn about collaborators, competitors, regional assets, network opportunities & risks, and other factors shaping your business ecosystem. 
• Technology and Innovation Trend Analysis: Use this option to gain insight into the latest trends in technology and innovation that will impact your organization.
• Asset and Gap Analysis: Use this option to better understand the strength, weakness, opportunities and threats facing your organization; inventory your assets and gaps; and create strategic goals that address your challenges and opportunities.
• Board Planning: Assembling a powerful Board of Directors or Advisory Board that will help you create and drive your Strategic Plan can be daunting for some organizations. Use this option to develop candidate selection criteria, Board Terms of Reference, and other Board-related tools connected to your Strategic Plan.

Key Words: Organizational Review; Asset and Gap Analysis; Stakeholder Consultation; Vision, Mission, Goals, Strategy