Strategic Planning

Expand your knowledge of strategic planning approaches to better understand what senior leadership teams are considering and the reasoning behind their decisions; this understanding increases your value and contribution to your organization's success.

Intended Participants:

Supervisors and management professionals seeking to develop more advanced strategic planning competencies and expand their management perspective; also beneficial for professionals who communicate with senior leaders involved in developing and executing organizational strategy.

This course provides foundational strategic planning knowledge for professionals who participate in strategic planning discussions but want to understand how strategy impacts organizational performance and individual responsibilities. Building appropriate vocabulary and conceptual understanding for strategic planning enables you to contribute more effectively to organizational dialogue and support your company's strategic priorities in meaningful ways.

Benefits You Will Receive:

• Learn the precise meaning of strategic planning and strategy within organizational context
• Master key strategic planning terminology and concepts used by planning professionals
• Discover diverse strategic approaches that organizations use to create their strategies
• Understand how strategy moves from initial conception through implementation phases to successful execution
• Learn the assessment methods organizations employ to evaluate their current position and future possibilities
• Determine specific ways your work can contribute to advancing your organization's strategic objectives

Topics Covered:

• Defining strategy and strategic planning within organizational context
• How organizational strategy creates measurable value for customers and key stakeholders
• Multiple approaches companies employ to develop a strategy: seven distinct strategic planning methodologies
• The strategic planning process in practice: five key phases of a traditional strategic framework
• Assessing and analyzing both internal and external organizational environments
• Three essential dimensions of strategy execution: discussion, deliberate decisions, and structured development
• Implementing strategy successfully: how strategic direction cascades through organizational levels

Comprehensive Course Outline

Learning Goals and Objectives

• Define Strategic Planning and Strategic Direction
• Articulate Five Critical Strategic Decisions That Guide Strategy Development and Organizational Implementation
• Explain How Strategic Direction Flows Throughout an Organization
• Connect Your Individual Role to Organizational Goals and Required Implementation Activities
• Understanding Strategic Planning Fundamentals

Strategic Planning Foundations and Organizational Strategy Definition

• Identify Five Foundational Questions for Long-Term Organizational Success
• Understand a Structured Approach for Strategic Development
• Determine Essential Stakeholder Groups and Relationships
• Describe How Strategy Operates Throughout Every Organizational Level
• Understand Why Organizations Develop and Implement Strategy

Organizational Strategic Design and Enterprise Alignment

• Explain the Importance of External and Internal Organizational Environments
• Examine Growth and Profit Maximization Strategies
• Describe Market Segmentation Approaches
• Understand How Organizations Develop Competitive Value Propositions for Customers and Stakeholders
• Articulate How Organizational Strategy Defines Its Competitive Advantage
• Recognize the Importance of Connecting Individual Work to Organizational Strategy
• Understand Strategic Planning in Practical Implementation

Five-Stage Strategic Planning Framework

• Identify and Describe Five Sequential Stages of Strategic Planning Frameworks
• Explain How Strategic Plans Actually Operate Within Organizations
• Understand the Critical Components and Timeline of Strategic Processes
• Identify Your Specific Role in Supporting Organizational Strategic Plans
• Environmental Assessment and Analysis

Recognizing and Analyzing Strategic Patterns

• Understand Emerging Patterns and Strategic Implications
• Explain Why Environmental Assessment Is Critical for Strategy Success
• Learn Six Essential Tools and Methods for Environmental and Competitive Assessment
• The Three Core Elements of Strategic Planning and Development

Key Strategic Planning Activities and Execution

• Describe Key Phases in Strategic Planning; use of SWOT analysis, Core Competencies and Critical Success Factors
• Understand the Logic and Reasoning Behind Strategic Decisions
• Strategic Implementation and Continuous Review

Strategic Alignment and Organizational Execution

• Understand Strategic Alignment Concepts and Organizational Impact
• Generate Strategic Questions That Facilitate Organization-Wide Strategic Dialogue
• Understand Accountability Structures and Systems
• Identify Reward Systems and Recognition Programs That Support Strategic Success
• Learn When and How Frequently Strategy Should Be Reviewed and Updated
• Alternate Strategic Planning Methodologies

Seven Distinct Strategic Planning Approaches

• Evaluate Which Strategic Approach May Best Match Your Organization's Needs and Environment
• Access Detailed Extended Seminar Information Resources PDF