Overview

Strategic planning can be instrumental in the long-term success of a company. Many companies are wrapped up in the day-to-day concerns of providing products and services and do not take the time to adequately plan for the future. Facilitated strategic planning can bring together stakeholders from all areas of the company such as the owners, management, board, and staff to plan for the future in a productive way.

Perspectives Consulting Group, Inc. tailors strategic planning to fit the current situation and needs of the company. Companies that have participated in a strategic planning process previously are encouraged to enhance and develop their current strategic plan, while companies new to the strategic planning process will start with simple steps to reap the benefits of strategic planning.

Strategic Planning

Strategic planning has been used by companies to:

• Establish a common vision and focus for the company
• Prioritize areas of concern for the company to allocate resources effectively
• Set benchmarks for measuring outcomes and the performance of the company
• Develop plans and goals for the company in areas like marketing and promotion
• Determine an appropriate message or messages for the company

Strategic planning includes the review and analysis of the current situation, evaluating potential opportunities, and understanding the environment including: products and services, customers, competition, advertising, and promotional efforts. Since every company is different, Perspectives Consulting Group, Inc. customizes the strategic planning process to meet each company’s unique needs. Once basic information is collected, Perspectives Consulting Group, Inc. works with the organization to facilitate a direction for the future. One or more facilitated sessions are held with management, staff, and stakeholders to reach understanding and consensus for the direction of the company. The strategic plan is then formulated to reflect the goals of the company, while outlining the actions necessary to achieve those goals.

Strategic Planning Outline

The following outline lists topics that could be included in the strategic planning process:

Mission and Vision

• Review and confirm the mission of the company
• Develop a mission statement
• Explore a three, five, or ten year vision of the company
• Focus the mission or vision of the company

Competition

• Determine the role of the company compared to the competition
• Develop methods of differentiating the company from others

Promotion

• Develop a plan for increasing the exposure of the company
• Explore how the company is perceived by clients, stakeholders