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Excerpt from a recent client email* from an organization that just wrapped their strategic planning initiative. This was our third project together; the first was an program strategy project and the second was a branding/identity project.
“Angela,
I wanted to share our finalized one-pager-through-pics strategic plan. You’ll see our “movement” words added to the draft you sent last month. The SP committee loves it and wants to make sure to use the one-page written SP summary and this together. We like the format and think it will be helpful for our team. Also, we decided to adopt the SP check-in at our weekly huddle and the plan is to update that list in our shared drive (we added the reminders already, so thanks!). We’re going to roll out the visual too, so we’ll add it to the AR next time. Can we talk about that at our next session?”
This education-focused organization invested in planning. What did they gain?
A detailed (it’s 11 pages) organizational strategic plan that will guide their decisions and growth over the next five years, complete with objectives and deadlines.
A one page written and visual summary (seen here) of the three main work areas that require investment of resources.
A framework and schedule for moving the plan forward.
Let’s not forget about the other gains.
A sense of direction that was formed by the administrative team.
A more effective route to decisions about marketing and outreach, operations, finances, and special projects.
The ability to identify and approve or reject opportunities to arise, based on the priorities of the plan.
The ability to evaluate progress and have access to enough information to change something that’s not working.
A sense of order that enhances the day-to-day activity of the organization.
A summary of their priority work areas that can, if appropriate, be shared with stakeholders.
Strategic planning helps you to move your business forward in an efficient and intentional way. It allows you to consider where you’ve been, where you are, and where you want to go, in order to grow your business.
Ready to invest in your success? Let’s talk.
*Visual strategic plan shared with permission. A small amount of organization-specific information was omitted.