WHY DO THIS

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You need a way to initiate a conversation about what’s important or what’s changing in order to build your team or your company.

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WHAT TO DO

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Here are some questions that get you started on the key elements of strategic planning. Not meant to be exhaustive, this is a good process to do alone, for one hour, or with a partner or small team. You can also use this as a warm-up for getting the pulse of a group before you go live with a planning process that will involve many people.

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HOW 


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Alone, or with appropriate team members, answer the following questions.

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Part 1: Background thinking

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1. What are your highest hopes for the organization?

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2. What are the greatest strengths?

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Describe a time when you produced a champion level result (this gets you to visualize what was happening and how it felt) .

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3. What are your greatest concerns about your future?
Think in terms of closing gaps.
Don’t get overly focused on limitations and problems – state them and move on.

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Part 2: Getting clear on Mission

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1. What is the purpose of this organization? Why does it exist?                          

 

2. Whom do you serve?

 

3. How do you service your clients or constituents.

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Write a draft mission statement in 25 words or less. Make sure you have 
answered the 3 questions above in the statement. 


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Part 3: What We Value

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1. Write a punch list of bulleted items, in brainstorm fashion, of what you want it to feel like – working in your organization. 


 

Describe the tone and feel of the business. See the picture.  Do this quickly – don’t over-think it. 


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2. Work the list into a shorter, focused list

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      Be willing to give up value statements that don’t hit the core of who you are 


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Next Steps


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Use this thinking to shape your strategic planning process–what’s the mood? The key issues? Now you can plan your planning.

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OR

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Use this output to identify targets for the upcoming year .