Strategic Planning

MCAworks Opinion

Strategic planning is an important company event, but often loses priority in the day-to-day business of operating a company.  MCAworks feels strongly that companies should not implement a strategic planning process unless management feels committed to the following factors needed to ensure success.  Senor Management must:

• View the strategic planning process as high priority within the recommended timeframe—and be willing to commit to all (generally monthly) meetings on a no-cut basis;
   
• Be willing to discuss their views openly and participate as equals in the team meetings;
   
• Involve business sector management in identifying real-time competitor threats and possible company responses;
   
• View the ultimate deliverable as a “living document”—setting aside resources to update strategies real-time in the face of ongoing changes in company capabilities, competitor advances, consumer needs, and market trends; and
   
• Ensure that all planning sessions throughout the company discuss, refine and execute plans in the context of the strategic plan—in answering the question: How well does the initiative achieve stated company goals and strategies?

When it is all said and done, we encourage senior management to take the plan off the proverbial shelf and instead, use the plan as the focal point, or strategic context, for all critical planning discussions—refining the plan along the way.

Contact Dana Langham for more information.