Strategic planning is a way companies and businesses can identify their goals and visions for the future. Along with that, the company prioritizes which goals should be pursued first as well as listing steps to ensure that goal is met.

Strategic planning gives your business a direction to go towards and a specific directed goal to aim for.

There are multiple strategic planning models you can move in. Picking a model will depend on where your business is currently, your overall goal, the shift you are looking for, and many other factors.

At the very basic model, there are four categories to consider when sitting down to plan your goals. These include, the mission, the goals, evaluation and revision, and how the long-term goals align with short term goals. Once you have expanded on these four categories, it is important to identify where your company is at, develop a plan to meet the objectives, implement the steps, prioritize the goals that should be, and update the goals as needed. 

Here is where you can start…

Mission

First and foremost, the mission of your company must be at the forefront of any strategic planning that is going to occur. Your mission helps prioritize your goals as a business. Your mission describes who you are, what your company does, and what you want to be known for. Often times, mission statements are broad.

Strategic Planning Goals

Strategic planning involves creating goals for your business. It is important that these goals are measurable in some way shape or form. By doing so, you are more likely to be on track to achieve said goals. As the business year goes on, leaders can look at these goals and assess how their company is doing and working towards them to support their mission as a whole. They can then update the goals or revise them as needed. 

Long Term and Short Term Goal Alignment

Ultimately, strategic planning is setting short term goals that help leaders align their business strategy to reach an ultimate goal. Creating these smaller goals allows for attainability as well as growth for the company. The short term goals essentially are the stepping stones to reach a long term goal.  

Evaluate and Revise With Your Strategic Plan

Once you have your goals, it can be vital to talk them over with other leaders as well as employees. As the year progresses these goals can be evaluated and reconstructed to align with your vision. As conditions change within a business, goals will have to be realigned as well.

Moving Forward With Your Strategic Plan

This is not a one-or-nothing scenario. You can use as many or as few strategic planning models and frameworks as you like. 

Strategic planning is vital in defining where your business is going in the next three to five years. With the right strategic planning models and frameworks, you can uncover opportunities, identify risks, and create a strategic plan to fuel your organization’s success. We list the most popular models and frameworks and explain how you can combine them to create a strategic plan that fits your business.

Asana

At Converge, we want your business to become something greater. We specialize in strategic planning for companies and business. We work with you to provide training and courses that will help with planning and thus helping your business succeed. Interested in learning more about what Converge has to offer? Reach out to our team to start the process of taking the next step in your business growth.